Trump baffles Republican senators by picking Matt Gaetz for attorney general
President-elect Donald Trump stunned Senate Republicans by announcing that he will nominate Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz as attorney general.
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump stunned Senate Republicans by announcing Wednesday that he will nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to be attorney general.
Gaetz, a Trump loyalist known for being a rabble-rouser in Congress, will need a majority of the Senate to be confirmed as the country’s top law enforcement officer. Republicans will have a majority of 52 or 53 seats beginning Jan. 3, depending on the outcome of the Pennsylvania Senate race. That means Gaetz won't have a large margin for error, assuming every Democrat opposes him.
Some Senate Republicans said the process won’t be smooth sailing.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said it will be “a significant challenge” for Gaetz to win enough votes to be confirmed.
“I don’t think it’s a serious nomination for the attorney general. That’s Lisa Murkowski’s view,” Murkowski said. “We need to have a serious attorney general. And I’m looking forward to the opportunity to consider somebody that is serious. This one was not on my bingo card.”
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