Matt Gaetz will be the new Attorney General in the United States. The nomination chosen by Donald Trump has faced strong criticism from Democrats due to past allegations of sexual misconduct.
For Trump, Gaetz will put an end to criminal organizations: “Matt will protect our borders, dismantle criminal organizations, and restore the badly damaged trust of Americans in the Department of Justice.”
The choice of a 42-year-old congressman, who has never worked in the Department of Justice or as a prosecutor at any government level, is the latest in a series of Trump nominations of candidates with limited experience.
Gaetz resigned from the House of Representatives on Wednesday. The announcement was made by House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“It caught us a bit by surprise,” said Johnson about the resignation, adding that Gaetz resigned to quickly begin the process of appointing a replacement in the House. Gaetz played a major role in the ousting of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023. His appointment as Attorney General was met with immediate skepticism from some Senate Republicans, who have the power to confirm or reject his nomination.
The congressman from Florida, first elected in 2016, remains under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of sexual misconduct, illegal drug use, and possible attempts to obstruct investigations. Gaetz has denied the allegations. Top Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee are calling for the House Ethics Committee to release their findings on Matt Gaetz following the decision by President-elect Donald Trump to select the former Florida Republican lawmaker as Attorney General.
