MSNBC Co-Host Says Trump Nominated Matt Gaetz To Attorney General Spot To ‘Test’ Republicans

MSNBC co-host Symone Sanders-Townsend said Wednesday that President-elect Donald Trump appointed Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to be attorney general to “test” Senate Republicans’ loyalty.

Trump announced Gaetz’s nomination in a Wednesday statement on Truth Social, where he praised the congressman’s drive to reform the Department of Justice and end the weaponization of government. Sanders-Townsend alleged on MSNBC’s “Katy Tur Reports” that Gaetz’s nomination is the president-elect’s attempt of testing whether Senate Republicans will confirm whomever he chooses to be in a position.

“Matt Gaetz is also very interesting, again, what are the qualifications if you will, and can these people get through a Senate confirmation process? … I think this is a test frankly, and it’s a test for Senate Republicans to see if Senate Republicans are going to what is their posture going to be in this new Washington D.C. world order as it relates to Donald Trump,” Sanders-Townsend said. “Are these folks, Thune and others who are probably going to push back privately to the president-elect and his allies about some of these individuals so they can have their names quietly withdrawn. And if the private pushback does not work … will they publicly be willing to buck the president-elect or is there any pushback at all and do these folks just sail through the confirmation?”

📺 Embedded media — coming soon

Sanders-Townsend also noted the previous criminal investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) into Seminole County, Florida, tax collector Joel Greenberg’s allegations that Gaetz paid him to arrange sexual encounters with young women through Venmo. Greenberg pleaded guilty in May 2021 to sex trafficking a minor, identity theft and fraud, but did not include the details about Gaetz in his guilty plea.