World
November 17, 2024 13:10
washington - A majority of Republican senators do not expect the appointment of 42-year-old Matt Gaetz as Minister of Justice to be approved, according to NBC News.
A majority of Republican senators do not expect the appointment of 42-year-old Matt Gaetz as Minister of Justice to be approved, according to NBC News after talks with insiders.
The team of incoming President Donald Trump, however, still has confidence that he will ultimately be appointed, although resistance within the party is considered.
Trump put forward his supporter and longtime loyal follower Matt Gaetz from Florida last week to become a minister. This also led to shocked reactions within the Republican Party. Gaetz, who sat in the House of Representatives, repeatedly came under scrutiny. A parliamentary committee investigated allegations of sexual misconduct, unauthorized use of campaign funds, and drug use.
A separate investigation into allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a teenage girl did not lead to his prosecution earlier. The Ethics Committee in the House of Representatives investigated, but the findings are now being kept under wraps. Both Democrats and some Republicans are calling for the documents to be made public.
The dissatisfaction with Gaetz poses a challenge for 78-year-old Trump, whose Republican Party won a majority in both the House and the Senate in the November elections. Candidates he nominates for ministerial positions must also be approved by the Senate. Incoming Vice President J.D. Vance has been called upon to speak with his staff to gauge the senators' positions on Gaetz.
Meanwhile, it is still unclear what will happen with the results of the investigation into the intended minister by the House of Representatives. Chairman Mike Johnson, a Trump ally, does not want them to be released. "This is not how we operate in the House of Representatives," said the chairman.
Gaetz has since resigned his parliamentary seat, which according to Johnson means that the House is no longer authorized to publish the investigation. Some Republican senators have already indicated that they want to see the investigation. "Gaetz has a better chance of dining with Queen Elizabeth II than being confirmed by the Senate," said Republican Representative Max Miller of Ohio earlier.
There are also damaging stories emerging around Pete Hegseth, a candidate for US Secretary of Defense, who allegedly paid off a woman who accused him of sexual abuse. The settlement was part of a confidentiality agreement, according to The Washington Post based on documents reviewed by the newspaper and a statement from Hegseth's lawyer. Hegseth claims the encounter was consensual.