On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump named firebrand Republican US Representative Matt Gaetz as his nominee for attorney general as he moves swiftly to assemble a Cabinet.
"Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations, and restore Americans'’ badly shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department," Trump said in a statement announcing the selection, which would be subject to confirmation by the Republican-majority Senate.
Trump's inner circle has described the attorney general as the most important member of the administration after Trump himself, key to his plans to carry out mass deportations, pardon Jan. 6 rioters, and seek retribution against those who prosecuted him over the past four years.
During his first term, Trump was infuriated by what he called an obstructive Justice Department, including attorneys General Jeff Sessions, who allowed a probe into alleged contacts between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia, and Bill Barr, who publicly refuted his false claims his 2020 election loss was the result of fraud.
Antisemitism and Israel
Gaetz previously came under fire for his refusal to support a bill that would require the Education Department to codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.
Despite calling antisemitism “wrong,” he claimed the bill violated the Constitution and “common sense” with its definition of antisemitic language.
“The bill says the definition of antisemitism includes ‘contemporary examples of antisemitism’ identified by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). One of those examples includes: ‘… claims of Jews killing Jesus …’,” Gaetz wrote. “The Bible is clear. There is no myth or controversy on this. Therefore, I will not support this bill.”
In April, Gaetz voted against providing aid to Israel, saying, "If Congress wants to send money to Israel, then we should defund the United Nations first."
Sex trafficking allegations
In 2020, Gaetz was investigated for having sexual relations with a minor and sex trafficking, though the DOJ never charged him after the investigation.