Kevin McCarthy Doubts Matt Gaetz’s Confirmation: Attorney General Pick Sparks Controversy For Trump Surprise
Asked on Friday about President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to nominate former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) as attorney general, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) didn’t mince words. McCarthy flatly predicted to Bloomberg Television that Gaetz’s confirmation bid would fail in the Senate.
“Gaetz’s not going to be confirmed,” McCarthy said confidently. “Everybody knows that.”
McCarthy’s Take: A Confident Dismissal
McCarthy, Trump’s staunch ally as he rose to Speaker, approved of most of Trump’s Cabinet choices but made it clear that Gaetz was an exception.
McCarthy said he thinks the choices are very good, but one, Gaetz, who he mentioned. Pressed on why Trump would choose to nominate someone unlikely to win Senate approval, McCarthy was cryptic.
‘You can talk to [the] president, but it’s a good deflection from others,’ he said before cutting himself off. “I’ll let it stand at that.”
McCarthy was asked once more to speculate on Trump’s motive and responded, “Gaetz couldn’t win in a Republican conference, so it doesn’t matter.”
A History of Feuds
McCarthy’s comments were in line with a long feud between him and Gaetz. The Florida Republican was a key figure in the most recent push to dump McCarthy from his leadership job last fall. Ultimately, McCarthy resigned from the House, saying personal vendettas, including an ethics complaint, purely drove Gaetz’s actions.
At the start of this year, McCarthy and allies shunted millions into a failed campaign to defeat Gaetz in a primary challenge. Gaetz and McCarthy also had a very public fight at the Republican National Convention, where Gaetz mocked McCarthy for not getting a slot to speak.
Trump Nomination Stirs Some Eyebrows
Trump’s Wednesday announcement that Gaetz would be his attorney general’s choice caused shock waves in Washington and among Senate Republicans. Some were outright skeptical, though others indicated that Gaetz would have his work cut out for him in the confirmation process.
However, Gaetz’s controversial past is a big concern for many senators. The Department of Justice had investigated allegations that Gaetz had had sexual relations with an underage girl. Even though the probe was completed last year without any criminal charges filed, the allegations against Gaetz—denied repeatedly by him—hang over him.
The House Ethics Committee also was investigating allegations of sexual misconduct, drug use, and other inappropriate behavior. But Gaetz’s resignation from the House deprives the committee of jurisdiction, though it can still issue its findings, which could make it tougher on his nomination.
And what’s next for Gaetz?
But in deciding to nominate Gaetz, Trump was again bucking the norms and siding with an ally who shares his confrontational approach. Yet, as McCarthy and other Republicans say, Gaetz faces a steep challenge winning Senate approval.
Whether this nomination is a strategic distraction or a genuine attempt to position Gaetz as the nation’s top law enforcement official, one thing is clear: This won’t be a smooth road to confirmation. Now, all eyes are on Trump, Gaetz, and the future of the controversial nomination as the Senate prepares to launch its most contentious debate.
