Rep. Jared Moskowitz on Wednesday said that he believes Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney general, Rep. Matt Gaetz, would be the “most powerful attorney general in American history.”
“I mean, look, this is what the American people voted for, right?” the Florida Democrat said to CNN’s Brianna Keilar when asked about Trump’s shocking Truth Social announcement that he was tapping the far-right congressman from Moskowitz’s home state for AG.
“[Trump] was not shy about what he wanted to do in this country,” Moskowitz continued.
“Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department,” Trump said in his social media post.
“In Matt Gaetz, he’s not only going to get someone who’s fierce loyal, but fiercely competent. Matt Gaetz knows exactly what to do with the attorney general’s office,” Moskowitz said. “He will turn that into being most powerful attorney general in American history.”
Gaetz has been a staunch backer of Trump since 2016 and was a key figure in the overthrow of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
The congressman has faced intense legal and ethical scrutiny over the years: In 2008, he was arrested for drunk driving, which resulted in the suspension of his driver’s license. In 2020, the Justice Department opened an investigation into potential sex trafficking and underage prostitution, an inquiry which later broadened to include potential obstruction of justice. The investigation was closed in 2023 without charges for Gaetz. In 2021, it was reported that Gaetz had privately requested a blanket pardon from Trump during the final weeks of his first term. Later in 2021, the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, misuse of state records, campaign fund fraud, and bribery. The inquiry was reopened in 2023 and is reportedly ongoing.
