Nomination of Matt Gaetz for Attorney General: Correspondence

The Issue: President-elect Donald Trump nominating former Rep. Matt Gaetz to be attorney general.

The surprising nomination of former Florida Rep. and former House jester Matt Gaetz to be the nation’s attorney general confirms the worst fears many of us — including numerous reasonable Republicans — had about President-elect Donald Trump’s victory (“Please Mr. Trump, ditch this dreadful duo,” Editorial, Nov. 20).

Gaetz became a despised figure in the House Republican caucus when he stood in the way of Kevin McCarthy’s nomination to become speaker, an act which embarrassed the GOP before the world as it required 15 rounds of voting. Surely there is not a wellspring of affection for him in the Senate among either party.

If Gaetz wins, Trump’s time in office is going to be one of the greatest challenges the United States has ever faced. The sensible thing to do would be to withdraw the nomination and name a serious and qualified person to occupy it.

Oren Spiegler

Peters Township, Pa.

If you are worried that Gaetz would destroy the Justice Department, I submit that the Democrats have already done so — and that Gaetz may be just the person to rebuild it.

This country is circling the drain and the overwhelming majority of Americans have given Trump a mandate to save it. We owe it to Trump to trust his judgment.

Jack Kaufman

Naples, Fla.

Donald Trump’s audacious and repulsive nomination of Matt Gaetz to be attorney general of the United States is only one of many reasons why the completely unjustified reelection of Trump was the worst disaster in American politics in recent years.

Gaetz has moral turpitude to a degree rarely equaled in the history of Congress. He has been accused of trafficking underaged teen girls and having sex with some of them. Why had he not been expelled from Congress already?

Robert Berger

New Rochelle

Personally, I love that Trump nominated Matt Gaetz to be his attorney general.

Gaetz has been hounded by the Democrats, due to a controversial charge of having relations with underage girls. If Gaetz is confirmed, he would be able to investigate the investigators.
Gaetz is an attack dog, something that is sorely needed in the Trump administration.

One question, though: Why did he resign his seat in Congress before he’s been confirmed?

Charlie Honadel

Venice, Fla.

Gaetz’s resignation from the House likely means the report from the House Ethics Committee investigation into his conduct will no longer come to light.

My own theory, however, is that Gaetz does not stand a chance of being confirmed.

Harold Lackman

Côte Saint-Luc, Canada

Yes: Gaetz is outspoken, and the people he speaks out against are often offended by his affronting honesty. But Gaetz is what America needs as he speaks his mind in an unambiguous manner when dealing with both political and legal issues of the day. If anyone can sanitize Merrick Garland’s corrupt, weaponized DOJ and FBI, it would be Gaetz.

Earl Beal

Terre Haute, Ind.

Matt Gaetz for attorney general, are you kidding me? Who’s next: Vladimir Putin as national security adviser? Is it asking too much for our nation’s leader to be rational in his decision-making?

And yet we now know his choice: a man implicated in credible allegations of having sex with underage girls. At this point we can only hope that cooler, calmer heads prevail and Trump is forced to reconsider his choices.

Bob Ory

Chicago

There are countless well-qualified, experienced, law-and-order Republicans who could easily serve as America’s next attorney general.

Nominating Gaetz, who has been under criminal investigation for having had sex with a minor and sex trafficking, to head the Justice Department is akin to assigning a fox to guard the henhouse.

Paul L. Newman

Merion Station, Pa.

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