Who is Matt Gaetz, the person chosen by Mr. Trump to be the US Attorney General?

(CLO) US President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of Republican lawmaker Matt Gaetz as Attorney General has caused shock in both the Democratic and Republican Parties.

The attorney general is like the country's top prosecutor and also heads the US Department of Justice. As attorney general, Gaetz will also oversee agencies like the FBI.

Mr. Trump announced the nomination in a post on the Truth Social platform on November 13. He cited Gaetz’s background as a lawyer and member of the House Judiciary Committee.

The president-elect, who has criticized the Justice Department for bringing two federal cases against him, said Gaetz would root out "systemic corruption" in the department and return it to "its true mission of fighting crime and protecting our democracy and our Constitution."

Mr Gaetz, who has faced a series of controversial investigations during his time in the House, has raised eyebrows over the nomination, with some Republicans saying it was not a “serious” move.

Gaetz will need to pass a Senate confirmation hearing in the upcoming Congress before he can be confirmed as attorney general, a date that has yet to be set. Just four “no” votes from Republicans, along with unanimous opposition from all Democratic senators in the new Congress, would result in the nomination being rejected.

Who is Matt Gaetz?

Gaetz, 42, was until recently a member of the US House of Representatives representing Florida. He had held the position since 2017 but resigned on November 13 after being nominated to be attorney general.

The politician graduated from Virginia's William and Mary Law School in 2007 and briefly practiced private law before entering politics. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Don Gaetz, who served in the Florida State Senate from 2006 to 2016.

Matt Gaetz is widely considered a far-right ideologue. In 2021, he posted on social media advocating the Great Replacement Theory. The conspiracy theory, promoted by white nationalists in the United States, claims that the Democratic Party is deliberately replacing whites with non-whites through mass immigration.

What criminal investigations has Gaetz been the subject of?

In 2021, the US Department of Justice opened a federal investigation into allegations of an affair against Gaetz. However, Mr. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing in all of the allegations. He claimed the allegations were part of an "extortion scheme" and that "no part of the allegations is true."

"Over the past several weeks, my family and I have been the victims of an organized extortion scheme involving a former Justice Department official who demanded $25 million or else he would smear my name," Gaetz said in a statement.

Gaetz has also been under investigation by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee since 2021 for his alleged involvement with a 17-year-old girl. Earlier this year, the committee said Gaetz was also under investigation for alleged illegal drug use, accepting “inappropriate” gifts as a lawmaker, and obstructing a government investigation.

The committee is preparing to vote on releasing a “highly critical report” on Gaetz on November 15, The New York Times reported earlier this week, citing an unnamed Republican official.

However, with his resignation, the House no longer has the authority to continue the investigation.

How close is Gaetz to Donald Trump?

Gaetz is an associate of Mr. Trump and frequently appears on television to defend the current President-elect. Like Mr. Trump, Gaetz supports tightening borders and opposes strict restrictions on gun ownership.

In the House, Gaetz sharply criticized the Justice Department's criminal charges against Mr. Trump. Gaetz also criticized a special counsel investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.

After Mr. Trump lost the 2020 election, Gaetz, along with Republican hardliner Marjorie Taylor Greene, took part in “America First” roadshows. They asked crowds in Florida, “Who is your president?” and supporters shouted, “Trump!”

When Mr. Trump was on trial for paying hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels, Gaetz traveled to New York to support him.

What does Gaetz's new role mean?

In his nomination announcement, Mr Trump said Gaetz would "reform" the US Department of Justice and end the "weaponisation of the justice system".

Hours before that announcement, Gaetz posted on X that he supported a “secure southern border,” referring to tighter controls on the US-Mexico border that many migrants use to enter the country.

He also supports less expensive "single spending bills" in the House, instead of the general packages he describes as "chaotic."

Gaetz also expressed support for drilling for and selling more U.S. oil, which could be a sign that legislative support could benefit the oil and gas industry.

Ngoc Anh (according to AJ)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/matt-gaetz-the-person-who-was-chosen-to-be-the-general-general-ly-is-who-made-my-chan-dong-post321499.html