Analysis | Why Matt Gaetz is such a controversial pick for attorney general

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

70% : What Gaetz could do as head of the Justice DepartmentGaetz tweeted Wednesday that it "will be an honor to serve as President Trump's Attorney General!"Trump, when announcing his pick on his Truth Social platform, said Gaetz will "will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans' badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.
55% : While Trump was in office, Gaetz preemptively sought a pardon from him in case he were charged.
52% : Gaetz would also be able help the president use the Justice Department to investigate his political opponents, which Trump has said he would do.
46% : Thune has not said he would allow Trump to hold recess appointments, but he did tell Fox News Digital that "all options are on the table."
44% : But Trump told Republican senators that they need to step aside when he gets into office so he can unilaterally select his leaders.
40% : The plan, which Trump has denounced, from the conservative Heritage Foundation calls for a "top-to-bottom overhaul" of the FBI and suggests the next administration be given access to review investigations and nix any the president doesn't like.
32% : He was elected in 2016, the same year Trump first won the presidency, and since then has pushed baseless theories that antifa was responsible for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, invited a Holocaust denier to a State of the Union address and called abortion rights protesters "ugly.
22% : This would dramatically weaken the independence of federal law enforcement agencies, something good-governance experts say is particularly ominous as Trump describes top Democrats as "the enemy from within.
19% : ""Matt will root out the systemic corruption at DOJ, and return the Department to its true mission of fighting Crime, and upholding our Democracy and Constitution," Trump added.
15% : "Gaetz may have a hard time getting confirmed by the Senate -- unless the Senate steps aside for TrumpTo be the next attorney general, Gaetz would need support of at least 50 of the 53 Republicans in the next Senate (plus the tiebreaking vote of Vice President-elect JD Vance).
13% : If he becomes attorney general, Gaetz would have oversight of -- and could be tasked with getting rid of -- federal investigations into Trump.
9% : President-elect Donald Trump has been nominating loyalists to serve in his Cabinet, and nowhere is that more obvious than in his pick for attorney general: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida)Gaetz stands out even in an increasingly Trumpian Congress for his attacks on the FBI, willingness to engage in conspiracy theories and intense loyalty to Trump.

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