Republicans "stunned and disgusted" as Trump taps Matt Gaetz for AG

• "We wanted him out of the House ... this isn't what we were thinking," quipped one House Republican.

Driving the news: In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Gaetz as a "deeply gifted and tenacious attorney" who "has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice."

• Gaetz followed up shortly thereafter with a post on X saying: "It will be an honor to serve as President Trump's Attorney General!"
• A graduate of William & Mary Law School, Gaetz briefly worked at a law firm before getting into politics. He was elected to Congress in 2016.
• A right-wing firebrand who led the successful charge to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Gaetz was the subject of a now-closed DOJ probe into allegations of child sex trafficking.

State of play: Gaetz will need at least 50 senators to get confirmed, meaning he can only afford to lose the votes of three Senate Republicans.

• "This shows why the advice and consent process is so important and I'm sure that there will be a lot of questions raised at his hearing," said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) who added that she was "shocked" by the pick.
• Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said Gaetz has "got his work really cut out for him" to get confirmed.

What they're saying: Many of Gaetz's own colleagues in the House GOP took the rare step of going on the record to disparage him, underscoring the depth of animosity towards him even among Republicans.

• "Gaetz has a better shot at having dinner with Queen Elizabeth II than being confirmed by the senate," said Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio), referring to the British monarch who died in 2022.
• Rep. John Duarte (R-Calif.), noting that Gaetz is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, said he would be "a compromised AG" and that "there are better choices."

The other side: Some Republicans said they will stand behind the choice, with Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) telling Axios, "I support the president."

• Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) told Axios in a text message that "of course" he backs Gaetz's nomination because he supports "any/all of DJT's nominations."

What we're hearing: Trump's announcement was met with audible gasps by House Republicans during a conference meeting on Wednesday afternoon, multiple sources in the room told Axios.

• One House Republican in the meeting described the conference's response as "stunned and disgusted."
• "My reaction ... was surprised," Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) told reporters shortly after the announcement.
• "His name was not someone that I had heard and, to my knowledge, any other members of our conference had heard," Guest added.

What's next: The Ethics probe, which covers sex trafficking as well as allegations of illicit drug use, misuse of campaign funds and accepting bribes, would be closed if Gaetz resigns to become attorney general, Guest said.

• Gaetz has said he's innocent of all allegations in the probe.
• Republicans would also face an extremely narrow House majority if Gaetz is confirmed, with Trump also tapping Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) for roles in his administration.

The bottom line: Even Gaetz's allies concede he will have a tough time clinching the job.

• Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) called the nomination "wonderful" but said "it's going to be tough," because "he's got enemies in the Senate."

Go deeper: Matt Gaetz resigning from Congress "immediately," Johnson says

Editor's note: This article has been updated to add more reporting.