President-elect Donald Trump sent shockwaves through Washington when he announced his attorney general nominee was Matt Gaetz, a now-former Florida congressman who has built a brand by stirring up controversy and pushing provocative viewpoints.
Gaetz was one of Trump’s most loyal supporters throughout his presidential campaign. The Florida Republican has proven he would eagerly execute Trump’s plans to prosecute political foes, fire noncompliant career employees, and prioritize conservative pursuits, such as carrying out deportations and fighting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
But even some Republicans have winced at Trump’s surprise move to tap a confrontational firebrand with no prosecutorial experience to lead the Justice Department. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and others have already expressed hesitation about Gaetz, signaling that his confirmation in the Senate, which Republicans will narrowly control in the incoming Congress, is not guaranteed.
Below is a look at some of Gaetz’s standout moments.
Gaetz leads McCarthy ouster
Gaetz became former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s most vocal opponent when McCarthy took the gavel in 2023. As McCarthy highlighted DOJ and ethics inquiries into Gaetz over allegations he was involved in a sex trafficking scandal, Gaetz increasingly called for “new leadership” and accused McCarthy of failing to deliver for his party.
In October 2023, Gaetz triggered a vote to vacate McCarthy’s seat, and he and seven Republican outliers banded together to join forces with Democrats and oust him. The move plunged the House into a state of chaos and left the chamber without a speaker for three weeks.
Gaetz confronts McCarthy at the RNC
Gaetz and McCarthy’s feud spilled into the public eye during the Republican National Convention in July.
Gaetz, appearing angered, approached McCarthy and taunted the former speaker, saying he would get “booed off the stage” if he spoke during the event.
Gaetz dons gas mask for House vote on coronavirus legislatoin
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) shared a picture of himself in a gas mask on X in March 2020, moments before the House was set to vote on multibillion-dollar legislation to address COVID-19.
“Reviewing the coronavirus supplemental appropriation and preparing to go vote,” Gaetz wrote on X, before proceeding to wear it on the House floor.
Gaetz accuses Merrick Garland of colluding with Alvin Bragg
One of Trump’s most persistent allegations against Attorney General Merrick Garland is that he colluded with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to bring the hush money case against Trump in New York. The DOJ has called the claim a conspiracy theory.
No evidence of such coordination exists, but Gaetz ardently defended Trump’s position during a House Judiciary Committee hearing this year by demanding to see communication between the DOJ and Bragg’s office.
When Garland said his office was working on providing it, Gaetz lamented the bureaucratic process, saying, “You’re actually advancing the very dangerous conspiracy theory that you’re concerned about.”
“I care deeply about the law, and I think that the lawfare we’ve seen against President Trump will do great damage well beyond our time in public service,” Gaetz said.
Gaetz ‘raises eyebrows’
Gaetz drew scrutiny for his appearance during his speech at the RNC this summer. Social media users shared photos from it, saying the bomb-throwing Trump supporter appeared to be wearing excessive makeup or to have received cosmetic enhancements, such as Botox.
The Babylon Bee, a satirical website, responded to Trump’s appointment of Gaetz by alluding to the moment.
“Trump Nomination of Matt Gaetz Raises Eyebrows,” the website wrote.
Gaetz gets in near-physical fight with GOP colleague
During the historic 15-round House speaker vote in 2023, Gaetz’s opposition to McCarthy nearly resulted in a physical altercation on the House floor.
When the 14th round of voting failed in part because of Gaetz’s opposition to McCarthy, it left the conference exasperated and led to Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) appearing to lunge at Gaetz. Another member wrapped his hand around Rogers to restrain him.
Gaetz spars with Al Sharpton during heated hearing
Gaetz clashed with the Rev. Al Sharpton, a controversial activist and Baptist minister, about antisemitism during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in 2019.
Gaetz asked Sharpton if he ever called Jewish people “white interlopers” or “diamond merchants” and accused him of making “bigoted statements.”
The pair repeatedly yelled over each other, and several Democratic lawmakers interjected during the exchange to object to Gaetz’s line of questioning.
Gaetz compares missing FBI texts to the Immaculate Conception
Gaetz joined Trump in arguing that special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into alleged Trump-Russia collusion was unreliable because of missing text messages between FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page.
The pair criticized Trump in the infamous messages, but the FBI revealed that a large batch of the texts was missing, leading Gaetz to call it “the greatest coincidence since the Immaculate Conception.”
Former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo confronted Gaetz about the comment in an interview in 2018, cornering the Florida Republican into misstating that the religious doctrine was a reference to the conception of Jesus Christ, rather than the Virgin Mary’s conception.
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Gaetz says abortion activists are unattractive: ‘Be offended’
In a viral exchange in 2022, Gaetz was confronted by a reporter about insulting people who attend rallies in support of abortion access.
Gaetz said he did, in fact, call the rallygoers “ugly and overweight.”
“What do you say to people who think those comments are offensive?” the reporter asked.
Gaetz replied, “Be offended.”
Reporter: Is it safe to say that, based off your comments, you're suggesting that these women at these abortion rallies are ugly and overweight?
Gaetz: Yes.
Reporter: What do you say to people who think those comments are offensive?
Gaetz: Be offended.
BASED @MattGaetz
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— Joel Valdez (@realJoelValdez) July 25, 2022
