Democratic Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy said Wednesday that President-elect Donald Trump’s choice of Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general suggests he plans to use the Justice Department to target political opponents. He said that
President Trump announces Gaetz selection on Truth Social postcalling him a “deeply talented and tenacious lawyer trained at William & Mary Law School” who will end “weaponized government.” Murphy called the decision “astounding” on “The Lead with Jake Tapper” and warned it would have “devastating” consequences for “American democracy.” (Related: Presidents Trump and Elon Musk reportedly met with President Zelenskiy about future aid to Ukraine)
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“Just moments before this news broke, I was walking out of the Senate chamber and my jaw literally dropped to the floor at the Republican senators who are now in a position to stand up to Donald Trump in a way they never wanted before. You might hear the sound. I mean, listen, Matt Gaetz is dangerously underqualified, but that’s not the worst thing,” Murphy said. “Mr. Gaetz was Mr. Trump’s chief defender when it came to President Trump’s attack on democracy, the January 6 attempt to overthrow the government, and he believed that law enforcement was aligned with conservative political priorities. If this is not the case, we have openly called for its abolition.” This would be a very dangerous moment for American democracy. ”
“Matt Gaetz was nominated for one reason only: Because he has redirected Donald Trump’s transition of the Justice Department from an agency that represents all of us to an institution designed to persecute and prosecute Trump’s political opponents. Because you’re doing it in an agency that’s just a division of the White House,” Murphy said. “This is a surprising announcement in some ways, but not in others, because we know that President Trump will use the White House during the campaign to go after those who oppose him politically. And this president-elect seems to be doing just that.”The Justice Department has been very faithful to the promises he made during the campaign. ”
President Trump also announced Wednesday that he would nominate former Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. He also said he would nominate Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state. He announced Tuesday that he would nominate veteran Fox News host and veteran Pete Hegseth as defense secretary.
“Matt Gaetz was nominated because he was and is a political surrogate for Donald Trump. “This could potentially be catastrophic for the cause,” Murphy added. “I hope some Senate Republicans understand that.”
President Trump faces multiple federal charges brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith, while the Justice Department under consideration Multiple reports reveal how he plans to quell lawsuits against him ahead of his inauguration in January show. Ministry of Justice policy Prohibits criminal prosecution of sitting presidents.
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