With his recent appointment announcements, President Trump has demonstrated how committed he is to shaking things up in D.C.
Many on all sides of the political spectrum were surprised when President Trump announced that Rep. Matt Gaetz was his choice for Attorney General. This is the guy who led the opposition to Speaker McCarthy. Remember that the House Armed Services Committee Chairman had to be restrained to prevent fisticuffs on the House Floor. K Street was apoplectic. Sages warned that this would destroy Republican chances to hold the majority.
A cardinal rule in Washington etiquette requires members to respect even hyper-partisan adversaries. You say: “The gentleman from Illinois misspoke.” Never: “The jerk from Illinois just told a bald-faced lie.” Taking on and toppling a Speaker of your own party is…well… unthinkable. But Matt Gaetz is a different breed of cat.
He has sometimes gone out of his way to accumulate enemies.
So, when we heard about Trump’s choice for AG, we were taken aback. Frankly, Matt Whitaker would have been a smart choice. Republicans are fidgeting with their collars. Democrats are screaming bloody murder. But please take time to think this through.
It is pure genius.
Machiavellian? Yes.
If there is a department that deserves Matt Goetz right now, it is Justice. Does he rub many people the wrong way? Absolutely. But he has one indispensable quality…he is fearless! Don't doubt that he will clean house in both the DOJ and the FBI. He will be undeterred in holding the evildoers accountable.
Consider just a few of the many abuses by the DOJ over the last few years. These abuses and crimes have largely escaped the legal consequences that should otherwise be expected. You might see things like this in totalitarian regimes, not in the United States.
Remember how they destroyed General Flynn over supposed violations of the FARA Act and mentioned sanctions in a conversation with the Russian Ambassador? They shamelessly bankrupted him.
Someone decided that Catholics who preferred the Latin mass were a national security threat that required surveillance. Maybe Attorney General Gaetz can find out who that was.
Lying to Federal Judges to obtain warrants to wiretap an incoming President of the United States cannot be swept under the rug. The authors of the now-famous Operation Crossfire Hurricane have never been brought to justice. Their “insurance policy” was an illegal attempt to hamstring President Trump and put the country through three years of hell. Perhaps General Gaetz can bring some closure.
Someone at a very high level approved the dispatching of a heavily armed, jack-booted SWAT team to rifle through Melania’s underwear drawer. This unprecedented action was conducted over disputed documents requested by the National Archives. Documents that Secret Service agents guarded. This Banana Republic raid cannot be allowed to stand as a precedent. Everyone involved who did not object should be sacked.
How did parents who attended School Board meetings to exercise their First Amendment rights wind up on domestic terrorist lists? Or a loving father who prayed in front of an Abortion Clinic end up in prison? We’ve seen how these musk oxes circle with their horns out. They blabber bureaucratic nonsense to protect their precious agency and the perpetrators as well. A headstrong and determined AG, Matt Gaetz can get answers.
If confirmed, Matt Gaetz is willing to play the bad cop so Trump can play the good one.
Everyone should withhold judgment until the Senate hearings. President Trump deserves the benefit of the doubt on this, like all of his appointments. The last thing Republicans should do is go into a defensive crouch or join the chorus of the terrified Left.
They need to remind Americans of the many abuses by this Justice Department. They must demand accountability. It is called the Justice Department for a reason. Equal justice under the law applies to all. The rule of law is worth fighting for. High-ranking DOJ officials and the FBI who abused their power cannot get a free pass.
Republican Senators must show some spine. Keep faith with the millions who want a Justice Department and an FBI that we can once again be proud of.