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The top Democrat in the House has called on Senate Republicans to fulfill their constitutional duty by scrutinizing President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominations, particularly former Congressman Matt Gaetz as Attorney General, and to act as a check on the incoming administration.
Let’s bring you up to speed: Two days ago, President-Elect Donald Trump announced his decision to nominate former Congressman Matt Gaetz as the next Attorney General, sparking significant controversy due to Gaetz’s checkered past. A staunch Trump ally, Gaetz has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s policies, but his nomination has raised alarms over past investigations into alleged sexual misconduct, including a Justice Department inquiry into sex trafficking that did not lead to charges. Gaetz also faced a House Ethics Committee investigation into alleged sexual misconduct and drug use, but his sudden resignation from Congress has halted the release of that investigation, which was expected as early as today. Meanwhile, Democrats have also strongly opposed Trump’s nominations of Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services.
What’s going on now: In a statement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called on Senate Republicans to stop these nominations. He said, “The Senate has a job. They should focus — meaning the Senate Republicans — on being a separate and co-equal branch of government and serving as a check and balance on a particularly out-of-control, when it emerges, administration. That’s their job. Advice and consent should mean something. It certainly doesn’t mean rolling over and giving any administration — Democratic or Republican — what they want.”
Jeffries also questioned the qualifications of certain nominees, asking, “[Is] Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., by way of example, the best that America has to offer?” He continued, “Here’s what I’m not going to do for the next two years and the next four years. I’m not going to deal with — it’s Tulsi Gabbard one day. Then, an hour later, it’s Matt Gaetz. Then, the next day, it’s Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And then [Trump] says something on X, or on Truth Social. And then the people connected to him are doing something outrageous. No. That I’m not doing, because that’s all a distraction.”
Where Republicans stand: While Republicans have shown openness to approving Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for their respective Cabinet nominations, there is significant division over the nomination of Matt Gaetz as Attorney General. Some Republicans have expressed serious concerns about Gaetz’s suitability for the role, citing his lack of prosecutorial experience and the lingering controversy from the closed Ethics Committee investigation.
On the other hand, Trump allies within the GOP have defended Gaetz, portraying him as a victim of partisan attacks and an outspoken advocate for conservative values, urging their colleagues to stand firm against Democratic criticism.
