Former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) says Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who resigned from Congress after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to be his attorney general, will likely face some opposition from a handful of Senate Republicans as he seeks to get confirmed.
On Thursday, McCaskill joined MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” to discuss Trump’s contentious administration choices, including Gaetz and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, whom the president-elect nominated for director of national intelligence.
“I made a list last night of 11 names of senators that I think are most likely to say no to both of these appointments, particularly Gaetz,” said McCaskill. “And keep in mind a few of these names, like Chuck Grassley, for example. Grassley’s not going to run again. He just got reelected, and he’s, you know, 90.”
“You’ve got Mitch McConnell. Mitch McConnell is not going to run again,” she continued. “You’ve got Susan Collins, who I can’t imagine voting for these people. You’ve got Lisa Murkowski. I can’t imagine Lisa voting for these people.”
McCaskill wondered if Trump would simply “ignore the part of the Constitution” that requires “advice and consent” from the Senate to appoint his nominations — which Trump could do without Congress — before noting that Gaetz still has to undergo a background check.
He was investigated by the Department of Justice over allegations of having sex with a 17-year-old and traveling across state lines with her. The department dropped the investigation last year, but the House Ethics Committee started its own probe on Gaetz earlier this year. However, the committee’s investigation will end following Gaetz’s resignation from Congress.
Democracy In The Balance
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
Still, McCaskill noted that he might falter under required vetting.
“Anybody who thinks the FBI can’t get what the ethics committee has in the House has never been subjected to a background check,” she said. “And trust me, a background check for attorney general is not your average run-of-the-mill background check.”
Several Republican lawmakers have already shared their shock at Gaetz’s nomination, while top senators on both sides of the aisle have started calling for the House Ethics Committee to disclose the findings of its investigation into Gaetz’s alleged misconduct.