WASHINGTON—House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced during a Nov. 13 press conference that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) had resigned his seat in the House of Representatives after being nominated by President-elect Donald Trump as attorney general.
Though he’ll likely face a tough fight to be confirmed by the Senate, Johnson said that Gaetz resigned his seat early so it can be filled as soon as possible. Gaetz said that Florida state law requires the vacancy to be filled within 8 weeks, Johnson said.
Gaetz said he called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier the same day. Johnson said this could mean the seat can be filled by as early as Jan. 3, when the first sitting of the new Congress occurs.
Johnson heaped praise upon Gaetz, saying he was among the “most intelligent” people in Congress.
“Everyone who’s served with him will tell you he’s one of the most intelligent members of Congress,” Johnson said during a Nov. 13 press conference in response to a question from The Epoch Times.
“He’s an accomplished attorney. He’s been very worried about the law fare that has been occurring in the Department of Justice under the Biden administration, and the fact that the American people have lost their faith in the institutions of justice.”
Other House lawmakers gave varied takes on the appointment. Some were supportive while others expressed reservations.
“That’ll be great,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer told The Epoch Times when asked about Gaetz’s nomination.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican who serves with Gaetz as part of Florida’s congressional delegation, praised the selection on X.
“Gaetz is going to do great things for our country!” she wrote. “He is one of my closest friends in Congress, and we will miss him dearly.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) told The Epoch Times, “I think he’d be a great pick.”
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) also praised the decision, along with Trump’s pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, an Army veteran and Fox host.
Both of the nominees, Jackson told The Epoch Times, would “shake things up and turn those departments upside down and make a lot of significant changes, and that’s what we need.”
Gaetz has represented Florida in Congress since 2017 and led the effort to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as House speaker last year. According to his bio, Gaetz graduated from William and Mary Law School and worked as an attorney in Florida.
Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) said Gaetz has “a zero percent shot” of making it through Senate confirmation and that it was “reckless” for Trump to choose him to serve as AG.
Miller told The Epoch Times he supports Trump’s nominations but that Gaetz has “done nothing productive.”
When asked the same question, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said “No” while laughing. Rogers had a tense confrontation with Gaetz during a vote to elect the speaker last year.
Another Florida congressman, Democrat Rep. Jared Moskowitz, described Gaetz on CNN as one of Trump’s “best weapons in Congress.”
“Matt is very good at what Matt does in Congress and now, he’s going to bring that to the attorney general’s office.”
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) said “I support the president of the United States.”
Rep. Burgess Everett (R-Utah) told The Epoch Times that he’s “just waiting to kind of see what everybody else thinks … just kind of waiting to get more information.”
Ultimately, however, it’s the opinion of the U.S. Senate that matters most. Gaetz will need the support of at least 50 senators to be confirmed, as he’s likely to face strong opposition from Democrats.
Although newly elected Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said the upper chamber will “do everything we can to process his [nominees] quickly,” Gaetz may face an uphill battle in the Senate, where Republicans can only afford three defections for nominations.
With Republicans on track to control 53 seats in the next Congress, along with the tie-breaking vote of Vice President-elect JD Vance, Trump can afford just three defections to confirm Gaetz and other nominees.
Gaetz is the third member of the House of Representatives to be offered a job in the administration so far. Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) has been nominated for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) has been tapped for national security adviser.
From The Epoch Times