DailyMail.com readers have dismissed Donald Trump’s attorney general pick, Matt Gaetz, as unqualified, ‘creepy’ and tainted by scandal.
Only 36 percent of the nearly 10,000 respondents believed Gaetz should be the country’s next CEO, while only 54 percent hated the choice and 10 percent voted they were “unsure.”
Gaetz, 42, is under ethics investigation over claims of sexual misconduct, bribery and drug use — which he denies — and was also the focus of a sex trafficking investigation involving a 17-year-old girl.
Even Republican lawmakers were shocked by the selection and implemented an early loyalty test as the new Republican Party-controlled Senate schedules confirmation hearings.
Likewise, readers who voted for Trump believed he blundered by nominating Gaetz.
“I voted for Trump and support every nominee so far except the completely unacceptable Kristi Noem and now the equally unsavory Matt Gaetz,” wrote a reader from Gaetz’s home state of Florida.
“With all these incredible lawyers with Republican ties, why would he pick someone as radioactive as sleazeball Gaetz?
“Take it from a Floridian: we can do a much better job as attorney general than he can.”
DailyMail.com readers have dismissed Donald Trump’s pick, Matt Gaetz, as unqualified, ‘creepy’ and tainted by scandal
Gaetz, who married his wife Ginger Luckey in 2021, was at the center of a sex trafficking investigation involving a 17-year-old girl
Another from Geatz State agreed that Trump would not look back on choosing Gaetz, Elon Musk and others as good decisions.
‘Dear sir. Some of his choices are concerning. Matt Gaetz isn’t the best or a solid pick. With Elon telling him how to run the country when he can’t run the companies he has, and Gaetz, he’s going to regret it,” the Orlando resident wrote.
A third reader from Denver added, “So Trump chooses Gaetz, the man whose license has been suspended by his state and who is under ethics investigation, as attorney general? Much sadness.’
Another thought Trump had not thought through his selections well enough.
“I support Trump, but I think this is a bad choice. He threw things into chaos without a plan to introduce anything to replace it. Trump needs to pull that back,” one person wrote.
Other readers not only disliked Gaetz for his scandals and credentials, but were also put off by his atmosphere and mannerisms.
“I have to be honest here. I’m a Trump voter, and there’s still something about Matt that irks me a little,” wrote Mike from Nashville.
‘That was the first nomination that made me shudder. Call it discernment, intuition, perception… I don’t know. The eyes are a bit crazy.’
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Only 36 percent of the thousands who responded to a poll said Gaetz should be the country’s next chief executive, with 54 saying no and 10 percent unsure.
Another from Pittsburgh added, “These charges against him sound like a very bad guy, outside the normal definition of bad.
‘Plus, his face, hair and eyebrows look bad too. If the question was: pick the bad guy in a line of ten people, you would pick him. Sometimes people show you who they are.
“Besides, his resignation from Congress is already such a made-up deal. I thought everything was fine, except this man, but this feels terribly wrong.’
Gaetz had some readers on his side, and many others who were just happy to see his nomination angered Democrats.
“I have to trust Trump’s thinking on this as no one has experienced the wrath of political injustice better than him,” wrote one loyal Trump supporter.
“Gaetz is amazing, he questioned the corrupt Democrat AG so brilliantly that he humiliated him, it was something to see,” another added.
“Has (Biden’s Attorney General Merrick) Garland shown to be the complete Democrat that he is, and the poetic justice that Gaetz will (hopefully) replace him.”
Gaetz resigned from Congress almost immediately after Trump’s nomination, meaning he was doing everything he could to be confirmed and would be out of a job if the Senate rejected him.
Gaetz was brutally mocked after speaking at the Republican National Convention in August (right) with a face that looked very different from the one in his official portrait (left)
Some readers thought this was part of the plan, as Gaetz’s appointment was too scandalous to be anything other than a ploy by Trump at his expense.
“He knows he won’t get through… it’s a test and also a test to get through his second choice with ease,” wrote a reader who said he was an active duty military man.
‘Horrible choice. The rest of the cabinet is okay. Perhaps this will be a favor to House Republicans by removing Gaetz from the House of Representatives. Once he resigns as congressman, Trump can fire him,” another added.
There was speculation that some of Trump’s other controversial cabinet and agency picks would be similar stalking horses, to soften opposition to his real choices.
The same has also been said about some of Trump’s policies, with the most outlandish policies being dumped in exchange for congressional approval of other policies.
While Trump appears to value staunch loyalty as a prerequisite for his selection for key posts over standard qualifications, the choice of Gaetz as the top law enforcement official in the country left many scratching their heads — if not scraping their jaws off the floor.
Republicans who received the Gaetz nomination – apparently without prior consultation – showed their shock through both their words and their silence.
Others, such as John Bolton, Trump’s U.N. ambassador and national security adviser, called for both Gaetz and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to be fully investigated by the FBI before the hearings even began.
Gaetz, 42, is under investigation over claims of sexual misconduct, bribery and drug use – which he denies
He cited to News Nation the ongoing ethics investigation into Gaetz and Gabbard’s history of pro-Russian statements.
“Given the Russian propaganda she has been conducting recently, I believe she poses a serious threat to our national security.” he said of Gabbard.
“Until a few hours ago, I would have said this was the worst Cabinet appointment in recent American history. Of course, he has clearly taken the lead in that regard since Matt Gaetz’s nomination.’
Bolton said Gabbard’s appointment showed China that the Trump administration would not take intelligence gathering seriously.