TV personality Geraldo Rivera, a former ally of Donald Trump, has publicly voiced his disapproval of the President-elect’s nomination of former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for the position of attorney general. Rivera made this known during his guest appearance on NewsNation’s “On Balance with Leland Vittert,” stating, “When I heard that Matt Gaetz was picked to be attorney general, I threw up in my mouth.”
On November 21, Gaetz declined the opportunity, citing the turmoil the nomination was causing.
Rivera, 81, who had endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris during the 2024 election, portrayed Gaetz as an inappropriate choice and questioned the reasoning behind the nomination. He also raised concerns about Gaetz’s possible access to confidential investigation details, given that as attorney general, Gaetz would be privy to “the files” of any investigation into himself.
In a different conversation with Chris Cuomo of NewsNation, Rivera further elaborated on his apprehensions, asserting, “This is blowing up Washington D.C. and the selection, particularly of Matt Gaetz to run the Justice Department, is the giant F-you to the critics.” He also dubbed Gaetz as “perennially under investigation,” “barely a lawyer,” and an “obviously incompetent person.”
Rivera’s criticism carried over to social media, where he used derogatory language to describe Gaetz. Rivera anticipated that the Senate Republicans would not confirm Gaetz for the attorney general position.
The nomination of Gaetz elicited a variety of responses from political figures. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) adopted a cautious approach, expressing, “I’m predisposed to try to help presidents with their picks. But he’ll have to answer some tough questions in the hearing, and we’ll see how he does.”
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) expressed doubt, remarking, “I do not see him as a serious candidate.” She added that while the president has the right to nominate whomever he prefers, the Senate’s role in the nomination process is to provide advice. She cast doubt on whether her Senate peers would recommend the appointment of Matt Gaetz.
Gaetz, a committed supporter of Trump, has weathered previous investigations, including a federal inquiry into sex trafficking allegations, which concluded without any charges. His nomination was likely to undergo intensive scrutiny during the Senate confirmation process.
The controversy surrounding Gaetz’s nomination underscored the potential difficulties President-elect Trump could face in obtaining confirmations for his Cabinet picks. As the Senate gears up for confirmation hearings, the reactions from both political parties will be closely tracked.
