Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s enthusiastic endorsement of Matt Gaetz for Attorney General sparked fierce criticism Wednesday, highlighting deep concerns about the Florida congressman’s fitness to lead the Department of Justice.
Greene lauded Trump’s nomination of her “friend” Gaetz as “incredible,” claiming he would end “corruption and political persecution” at the DOJ. However, critics immediately pointed to Gaetz’s controversial (at absolute best) past and, let’s call it, a severe lack of qualifications.
“Of course, he will stop his own investigation into his pedophilia ring,” responded one X user, referencing the Justice Department’s extensive probe into allegations Gaetz engaged in sex trafficking. Though prosecutors ultimately declined to charge him in 2023, the elephantine specter of a still-fresh investigation—that, in a different timeline, would seem to make him even unelectable as a U.S. Representative—haunts his nomination.
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton, a former Trump appointment himself, delivered perhaps the sharpest rebuke, calling Gaetz’s selection “the worst cabinet appointment in recent American history” and demanding “full field FBI investigations” before any confirmation hearings.
The gravity of installing Gaetz as America’s top law enforcement official becomes more apparent when examining his scant legal credentials, as in he doesn’t have any that would remotely make him a suitable candidate. Unlike previous attorneys general with extensive experience as prosecutors, judges, or prominent defense attorneys, Gaetz’s post-law school career has been almost entirely political.
More troubling are the serious allegations that have dogged him. The House Ethics Committee was investigating claims Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use and accepted improper gifts before his Wednesday resignation ended their jurisdiction. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy explicitly accused Gaetz of trying to halt an ethics probe into sleeping with a 17-year-old.
Former Oklahoma Representative Markwayne Mullin added fuel to the fire last year, claiming Gaetz bragged about sexual conquests at work right there on the House floor, and it sounds like he pulled out his phone as proof. “We had all seen videos…of the girls that he had slept with,” Mullin told CNN.
Gaetz’s nomination represents a dangerous new frontier in American governance. How can it be that the American people accept elevating someone facing credible accusations of exploiting minors and other highly problematic behavior to lead all the legal machinations that investigated him? Additionally, as attorney general, Gaetz would control evidence the FBI gathered about his own alleged misconduct. It would almost as if it had never happened, at least officially.
Beyond evident, disqualifying ethical concerns, Gaetz has openly declared ideological war on the institutions he would oversee. “We either get this government back on our side, or we defund and get rid of, abolish the FBI, the CDC, ATF, DOJ, every last one of them,” he declared at CPAC 2023. This combination of vindictiveness and inexperience at the levers of American justice is a precarious moment for democracy. As one Twitter critic noted, “We have enough drama to deal with without adding the biggest drama queen to the mix.”
The selection sent shockwaves through the Justice Department, where careerists reported “intense shock” and “absolute disbelief.” Republican senators—even the faithful Trumpers—expressed deep uncertainty about confirming Gaetz.
“There’s a number of issues,” said Senator Kevin Cramer, noting concerns about Gaetz in simply clearing an FBI background check. Senator Lindsey Graham, typically a reliable Trump ally, was evasive: “I don’t know yet. I’ll have to think about that one.” As America confronts rising authoritarianism and eroding faith in institutions, installing an unqualified, scandal-plagued partisan as attorney general marks a dangerous new chapter. @barrowc30 wrote in response to Greene’s tweet that, “This administration is going to be joke.” No, unfortunately, it’s going to deadly serious, and everyone will suffer—some much more than others. Absolutely nothing will be funny about what will occur over the next four years.
Published: Nov 15, 2024 04:55 am