Trump dares Senate Republicans with Gaetz nomination
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The nomination of MAGA fire-breather Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general has put soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader John Thune on the hot seat.
Why it matters: President-elect Trump is daring Senate Republicans to defy him, just days after Thune agreed to consider recess appointments to speed up confirmations.
- This was the biggest day of Thune's career and was supposed to be a celebratory afternoon for the winning leaders.
- Instead, Trump handed Thune a conference-splitter.
Trump's announcement that he will nominate Gaetz was met with audible gasps by House Republicans during their conference meeting this afternoon, multiple sources in the room told us.
- With the Senate GOP at 53 seats next year, Thune could only afford to lose three GOP senators and still get Gaetz confirmed.
- Thune's other option: Let Trump make a recess appointment so Gaetz can skip a confirmation and work as acting AG. Trump had two confirmed AGs and five acting AGs in his first term.
Zoom in: Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was "shocked" by Trump's pick: "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."
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) called Gaetz "not a serious candidate," the N.Y. Times reports.
- Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) told us Gaetz has "got his work really cut out for him" to get confirmed.
- Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.): "I'm all about counting votes, and I would probably think he's got some work cut out for him."
Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) was noncommittal: "Yeah, I don't know yet. I'm going to have to think about that one," he told CNN.
Between the lines: One leader who wasn't surprised was House Speaker Mike Johnson, who said Trump tipped him off to the nomination this morning.
- Gaetz resigned from the House Wednesday, Johnson said in the evening.
- Gaetz was under a House ethics investigation for potential "sexual misconduct and illicit drug use."
- If confirmed, Gaetz would run the Justice Department, which investigated (and didn't charge) him last year in a sex trafficking probe.
Even if the votes aren't there for Gaetz, Thune might have to let the process run its course and convince Trump he tried.
- "We're going to vet and process and look at all the noms when they come forward and we'll see. That's all going to happen in the next few weeks," Thune told CNN this afternoon.
Go deeper: Democrats tear into Trump's Matt Gaetz and Tulsi Gabbard
