Former RNC Chair Tells Republicans ‘Terrible’ About Trump’s Nomination of Matt Gaetz

Former Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Michael Steele rejected reporting that a majority of Republican senators privately opposed former Rep. Matt Gaetz‘s Candidate for US attorney generalHe publicly says “they are cowards” who will not vote against him.

On Wednesday, the president-elect Donald Trump The nomination of Gaetz, a Republican from Florida, for U.S. attorney general caused excitement among some Republicans. That same day, Gaetz resigned. Congress.

Like other appointees, Gaetz will need the United States Senate confirmation before receiving the shipment. Last week’s elections changed control of the Senate Republicanscurrently holds both chambers of Congress and the White House.

There was Gaetz under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations that he was “involved in sexual misconduct and illegal drug use” and was part of a scheme that led to the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl. He denied any wrongdoing.

His resignation from the Parliament put an end to investigation into alleged abuse of powerHowever, the report can still be published if the majority of the committee agrees.

Calls for reports are mainly Democrats like a senator Dick DurbinThe chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee made the rounds after the nomination. But on Thursday, Republican Senator John Cornyn There was pressure to provide “access to full and complete information” about the candidates, It will also include the ethics report.

On Saturday morning, Steele, who served as RNC chairman from 2009 to 2011, criticized Trump and MSNBC‘s Weekendrefused to report NBC News that a majority of Senate Republicans would not vote to confirm Gaetz called the claim “so ridiculous” and described GOP senators as “cowards” who would not vote against Trump’s nomination and said they were “not ready to do that.”

“Oh yes, the majority… privately,” Steele said sarcastically before asking: “Is this the same ‘private’ people who told us on January 6 that the president of the United States would be impeached for this reason?”—because everyone went to the Senate floor and they had (previously) said privately what was going to happen?”

His comments reference Trump’s impeachment trial for incitement of insurrection, in which only seven Republican senators participated in the vote to remove Trump from office following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, falling short of the required two-thirds majority. Trump was ultimately acquitted.

Steven Cheung, Trump’s former 2024 campaign spokesman who will serve as the White House’s new communications director in January, said: news week “Michael Steele is a remnant of the outdated Republican establishment and knows nothing because he suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, which fills his brain with lies,” he said in an email Saturday.

news week Reached Steele for comment via email on Saturday.

Regarding the reporting, NBC News correspondent Julie Tsirkin previously posted on X. excitement“About 30 Senate Republicans privately say Matt Gaetz is unqualified and will not be confirmed as Attorney General… but the Trump team is confident he will eventually be confirmed, even if there is an ugly battle,” he said Saturday.

Gaetz needs only a simple majority to be confirmed; So if 30 Republican senators oppose him, his nomination will fail because no Democrats are expected to support him. Tsirkin’s report suggests that more than half of GOP senators will not support the president-elect’s pick for attorney general. With some exceptions, disconfirmation of presidential nominations is rare.

news week He also reached out to new Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s press team for comment via email on Saturday.