What They Are Saying: Republicans “Disgusted” by Trump’s Ultra-MAGA “Gut Punch” With Gaetz Pick Arrow

Yesterday, Donald Trump tapped ultra-MAGA loyalist Matt Gaetz to be his attorney general as part of his effort to put himself above the rule of law and execute his agenda of revenge and retribution. Republican lawmakers are already making clear how "disgusted" they are by Trump's pick - after all, Gaetz's closest connections to the Justice Department are being the subject of a federal criminal investigation and pushing to defund federal law enforcement.

Here's what Republicans, commentators, and observers on both sides of the aisle are saying about Trump's already disastrous nomination of Gaetz:

On the Airwaves

On MSNBC's All In With Chris Hayes, Rep. Max Miller (R-OH): "I just think it's silly. I believe that the President is probably rewarding him for being such a loyal soldier to the President. […] Mr. Gaetz breaks things to break things. Then once he breaks it, he breaks it even more, and that is somebody who should not be the Attorney General of the United States. I can tell you, I'm not the only one out of 200 and probably 22 that we'll end up with that is happy he is leaving this conference."

On CNN's The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND): "About Matt, what concerned me a little bit is, was I didn't like the way he handled the squabble with Speaker McCarthy, I think that was, I thought it was unnecessary, I thought it was divisive, I think that the conference suffered, the Republican conference suffered from it."

On CNN's The Lead with Jake Tapper, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK): "Matt Gaetz and I, there's no question we've had our differences. They've been very public about it… he's got to come to Congress and sell himself, or to the Senate and sell himself. There's a lot of questions that are going to be out there. He has to answer those questions."

On NewsNation's The Hill, Former National Security Adviser John Bolton (R): "I don't think either [Tulsi Gabbard] or Matt Gaetz ought to have a confirmation hearing until they have both had full field FBI investigations…then I think the Chinese would say, 'Maybe they are serious'…I think Republican senators should reject both of them."

On CNN's This Morning, Scott Jennings (R): "[Matt Gaetz is] the one who I believe actually starts below the bar of confirmation. I mean, we could probably all count at least four senators, maybe five who are highly likely to never go along with this."

On MSNBC's Deadline, Ali Vitali: "House Republican lawmakers had every range of reactions from gasping to audibly saying 'oh my god.' Some of them thought that maybe they misread something or it wasn't real. But certainly we know now this is President-elect Trump's pick to lead the Department of Justice. Putting aside the concerns about if this is good for a House Republican majority that is barely large enough to function, there is, I think, a pretty sizable amount of ire and, frankly, hatred of Matt Gaetz from some of his colleagues here on Capitol Hill."

In Print

The New York Times: Senate Republicans Alarmed by Gaetz Pick as Attorney General Nominee

Senate Republicans reacted with alarm and dismay to President-elect Donald J. Trump's decision to nominate Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, for attorney general, and several said they were skeptical that he would be able to secure enough votes for confirmation.

[…]

"I was shocked by the announcement - that shows why the advice and consent process is so important," said Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, who has sometimes clashed with Mr. Trump. "I'm sure that there will be a lot of questions raised at his hearing."

"'I don't think he's a serious candidate,' Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican who also has broken with Mr. Trump frequently, said of Mr. Gaetz.

Even some of Mr. Trump's stalwart supporters declined to offer support.

Senator John Barrasso, Republican of Wyoming, refused to speak specifically about Mr. Gaetz's candidacy, repeating that he was looking forward to all of Mr. Trump's nominees receiving confirmation hearings and getting the president-elect's cabinet in place.

Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican of Iowa and a former chair of the Judiciary Committee, stood expressionless as reporters asked him if he had any concerns about Gaetz, refusing to answer.

The Wall Street Journal: Trump Sends Shock Waves Through Washington With Gaetz Pick

"Do you think he's a serious candidate?" Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska) said as she walked into the Senate chamber to vote. "Not as far as I'm concerned."

"He's getting people early and people he knows, as opposed to…last term," said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa), adding of Trump's cabinet picks during his first administration: "He didn't know most of the people and he's learned a lot since the last campaign."

Axios: Republicans "stunned and disgusted" as Trump taps Matt Gaetz for AG

One House Republican in the meeting described the conference's response as "stunned and disgusted."

"My reaction … was surprised," Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) told reporters shortly after the announcement.

"His name was not someone that I had heard and, to my knowledge, any other members of our conference had heard," Guest added.

Semafor: Republicans stunned as Trump taps Gaetz for attorney general

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said Gaetz's plot to oust McCarthy "is concerning to me" and noted that "FBI and background checks are pretty intense for an attorney general."

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said that "I'm all about counting votes, and I would think he's probably got his work cut out for him."

[…]

"Rep. Matt Gaetz is under ethics investigations by the House Ethics Committee. He would be a compromised AG," said Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif. "There are better choices."

POLITICO: Even Republicans are stunned by Trump's Gaetz Cabinet pick: 'Absolute gut punch'

One senior Republican Hill official said the Gaetz decision was an "absolute gut punch."

[…]

It's left much of Washington - and even some of Trump's own allies - perplexed, and less certain than ever that the second Trump administration will be more professionalized than his first, as some had hoped after the highly disciplined campaign Wiles and co-campaign chair Chris LaCivita ran.

[…]

"We went from some solid picks, to some interesting wildcards, to some that are more than controversial, no way confirmable," said Matthew Bartlett, a GOP strategist and appointee under Trump's first administration. "This is Trump daring the U.S. Senate. This is Trump potentially usurping the U.S. Senate and going to try to put people in place through recess appointments, which could mean we're at a Constitutional crisis from the start of Trump's second term."

POLITICO: DOJ lawyers cannot compute that Matt Gaetz could be their new boss

"There's no conceivable justification for nominating somebody this smarmy and this offensive for a position of such significance in this democracy other than to have a puppet and somebody who, as Gaetz has demonstrated, will do anything Trump asks," said Ty Cobb, a former Trump White House lawyer.

[…]

One former Trump DOJ official, granted anonymity to speak candidly, called the Gaetz nomination "fucking appalling."

"The attorney general should not be a provocateur," the former official added. "The problem with a person like that is he derives too much enjoyment from chaos and burning the place down, and those just would be the last traits you'd want in someone in charge of federal law enforcement."

Fox: Matt Gaetz faces GOP Senate opposition after Trump selection for attorney general

"He will never get confirmed," a Republican senator, granted anonymity to speak freely, told Fox News Digital.

One Senate Republican source simply said, "Ain't gonna happen," about the prospect of Gaetz's confirmation.

[…]

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters, "I think we have to consider any nominee by the president seriously, but we also have a constitutional responsibility."

On Social

Burgess Everett, Semafor - @burgessev: "Sen. Cramer said Gaetz's plot to oust McCarthy 'is concerning to me' and noted that 'FBI and background checks are pretty intense for an attorney general.' Gaetz is under ethics investigation and was previously under investigation at DoJ"

Melanie Zanona, Punchbowl News - @MZanona: "A House Republican tells me & @FarnoushAmirithat two Republican senators have already texted him to say they will not vote to confirm Matt Gaetz for AG."

Manu Raju, CNN - @mkraju: "Lindsey Graham and other top senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee non-committal on Matt Gaetz as AG"

Haley Talbot, CNN - @haleytalbotcnn: "GOP REP Max Miller says Matt Gaetz 'ran around here last term like a six year old with a loaded revolver and a happy trigger finger.'

"Says Gaetz 'wrecked this country for two years'

"'Tens of thousands of people died because of Matt Gaetz' citing delaying aid etc"

Melanie Zanona, Punchbowl News - @MZanona: "Early reaction from GOP members on Trump selecting Matt Gaetz for AG.

"Rep. Don Bacon: 'I've got no good comment.'"

Meredith Lee Hill, Politico - @meredithllee: "I'm looking at a House Republican who is laughing so hard in a group of members that he's wiping away tears"

Al Weaver, The Hill - @alweaver22: "Even some of Trump's more ardent backers are blown away by the Gaetz AG nomination.

"'Holy cow,' Tuberville said looking truly bewildered.

"He was quick to note he very much did not see this coming."

Samantha Handler, Punchbowl News - @sn_handler: "Audible snort from Cornyn just now when asked about Trump nominating Matt Gaetz to AG"

Emily Brooks, The Hill - @emilybrooksnews: "Source in room where House Republicans are waiting to start leadership elections tells me there were AUDIBLE GASP when Rep. MATT GAETZ was announced as President-elect Trump's pick for Attorney General."

Jeffrey Blehar, National Review - @EsotericCD: "Matt Gaetz cannot be Attorney General - and he almost certainly will not."

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