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By Theo Burman
Live News Reporter
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Matt Gaetz may have the backing of President-elect Donald Trump, but he also needs the backing of the Senate to be confirmed as attorney general.
After winning a majority in both chambers of Congress, the Republican Party has control over all three branches of government, making Trump's life much easier as he starts his second term.
However, Trump is already testing the waters. His relationship with congressional Republicans during his first term was shaky and, with just four short years left in his presidential career, he is taking steps to see how far he can push his colleagues in the legislature.
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Enter Matt Gaetz, Trump's pick for attorney general. One of Trump's most vocal supporters in the House of Representatives before his resignation, Gaetz is arguably Trump's most controversial pick for his administration, filling a role usually reserved for someone with extensive legal and judicial experience.
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The Gaetz pick has been highlighted by those both within and without the GOP as a litmus test for what Trump can get Republicans to do, not least because Gaetz is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for allegations of sexual misconduct.
With a majority of 53 seats in the Senate and Vice President-elect JD Vance holding the chamber's tie-breaking vote, four Republican senators would need to break ranks for Gaetz to be blocked from becoming attorney general, and there are already some who have made their views on his nomination heard.
Newsweek contacted the Trump transition team for comment on this story via email.
Susan Collins
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Maine Sen. Susan Collins is no stranger to rebelling. Having voted to impeach Trump on his second trial and against the nomination of former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in 2017, Collins has long been a thorn in Trump's side. Having served a state that typically leans blue since 1997, she is more liberal than most of her GOP colleagues.
Collins said that she was "shocked" by Gaetz's nomination, telling reporters: "This is why the Senate's advise and consent process is so important. I'm sure that there will be many, many questions raised at Mr. Gaetz's hearing."
John Cornyn
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Before his two-decade-long career in Congress began, Texas Sen. John Cornyn served as his state's attorney general, making him one of the chamber's top authorities on the position Gaetz hopes to fill.
Speaking on Monday to CNN, Cornyn said: "I would think it would be in everybody's best interest, including the president's, not to be surprised by some information that might come out during the confirmation hearing and the background check.
"So we're going to do our job and under the Constitution and in the process, I believe, provide the president some assurance that he knows exactly what the facts are about each of his nominees."
However, Cornyn also said on X (formerly Twitter) that "the Constitution expressly confers the power on the President to make recess appointments", and criticized Senate Democrats for potentially obstructing President-elect Trump's nominations.
Joni Ernst
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Iowa's junior Sen. Joni Ernst may not be as rebellious as the others on this list, but she acknowledged that Gaetz has "an uphill climb" in the appointment process.
Ernst has also said she would want to see the Ethics Committee report on him as everyone should be "vetted" during the process.
Kevin Cramer
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Cramer, who represents North Dakota, has also indicated he would want Gaetz to face the full power of the Senate's scrutiny.
When asked by CNN if he wanted to see the ethics report, Cramer said: "I do. But more importantly, I want the Judiciary Committee to be able to see it prior to the hearings."
This would open the door for Gaetz to face extensive questioning over the report's contents, which could damage his case in the chamber as a whole.
Thom Tillis
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Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina was one of the first senators to admit that Gaetz might face difficulty in the chamber.
On the same day that Gaetz was announced as Trump's pick, Tillis told reporters: "I'm all about counting votes, and I would think that he's probably got some work cut out for him. We're not going to get a single Democrat."
Lisa Murkowski
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Another of the GOP's most liberal members in the Senate, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski has scuppered some of Trump's nominations before, voting against Betsy DeVos alongside Collins.
Murkowski has said that Gaetz is not a "serious candidate", indicating that she could vote against him. Having held her seat since 2002 in a safely red state, Murkowski is freer than most from the ramifications of angering Trump.
The appointments process will begin when the new Congress is sworn into office in January.
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