During a live broadcast, CNN anchor Jake Tapper was taken aback by President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz for the position of Attorney General.
Gaetz, a close Trump ally known for his controversial views and criticism of the Department of Justice, is seen as part of Trump’s plan to overhaul the Justice Department.
While Trump praised Gaetz’s qualifications, analysts and some Republican senators expressed skepticism about his confirmation prospects, predicting a contentious battle in the Senate due to Gaetz’s divisive reputation.
“Welcome to The Lead, I’m Jake Tapper. And let me begin the show by uttering some words that I never contemplated using together before. And those words are: U.S. Attorney General Matt Gaetz,” Tapper said. “Because if you were wondering what Trump without the guardrails looks like, well, we’re getting an idea beyond the theoretical. We are starting with breaking news on so many fronts related to President-elect Donald Trump’s transition.”
“It is my Great Honor to announce that Congressman Matt Gaetz, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The Attorney General of the United States,” Trump announced. He said Gaetz is a “deeply gifted and tenacious attorney.”
“This is a crazy pick,” said CNN’s Elie Honig. “This is dangerous pick. I wish it was a gentle way to say it but there’s there’s no use missing words, I was a prosecutor for a long time.”
“He will never get confirmed,” a Republican senator told Fox News on the condition of anonymity. “Ain’t gonna happen.”
