WASHINGTON − President-elect Donald Trump unexpected choice a Rep. Matt Gaetz for the Attorney General signaled a similar approach to the Justice Department review.

But the choice also sparked some of the first criticism of Trump’s cabinet picks, as senators questioned whether the Florida Republican would be a serious choice to become the nation’s top law enforcement official.

Like Trump, Gaetz has come through the legal system under the spotlight of a criminal investigation.

Here are five takeaways from the surprising announcement:

More: Donald Trump picks Rep. Matt Gaetz to lead the Justice Department as attorney general

Trump picked Gaetz to end Justice Department “weapons.”

Trump and Gaetz both became fierce critics of the Justice Department after they were investigated.

Gaetz was the subject of a federal sex-trafficking investigation that completed without fees against the congressman, although a close political ally pleaded guilty.

The The House Ethics Committee is investigating Gaetz and said in June that he was expanding the investigation to include additional charges, but that action would end with his departure from the chamber if the Senate confirms his appointment.

The committee is looking into a variety of allegations that Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, accepted “inappropriate gifts” and offered special favors. Gaetz denied the allegations and blamed the investigation on former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, D-Calif.

“Legal, consensual sexual activities of adults are none of Congress’ business,” Gaetz wrote in a letter posted on social media in September.

McCarthy declared its historic elimination in 2023 it came because Gaetz was trying to block a House ethics investigation.

Meanwhile, Special Counsel Jack Smith is on trial liquidating two indictments against Trump. Trump has been accused of election interference and mishandling classified documents, but longstanding Justice Department policy prohibits prosecution of sitting presidents. Trump will not be judged under any circumstances.

“Matt is a profoundly talented and tenacious attorney trained at the William & Mary College of Law who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reforms at the Department of Justice.” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan militarization of our justice system.”

Trump said Gaetz played a key role in “defeating” the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. “Matt will remove systemic corruption from the DOJ and return the Department to its true mission of fighting crime and upholding our Democracy and the Constitution,” Trump said.

Some GOP senators were “shocked” by Gaetz’s election

Some Republican senators who would be key to confirming Gaetz’s win questioned whether he was a serious choice for the job.

“I don’t think it’s a serious nomination for attorney general,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. “That wasn’t on my bingo card.”

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she was “shocked” to learn of Trump’s selection of Gaetz.

“I’m sure there will be a lot of questions raised at his hearing,” Collins said.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who currently chairs the Judiciary Committee, said the selection of Gaetz made it clear that Trump “plans to use the Justice Department to exact revenge on his political enemies.”

“Representative Matt Gaetz would be a disaster as the next attorney general of the United States,” Durbin said.

But Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., whom Trump picked to become secretary of state, said he expected Gaetz to win the confirmation.

“I think he will because presidents deserve a lot of respect,” Rubio said.

‘Disaster’: Bipartisan Criticism

Reaction from outside the government to the announcement was swift, bipartisan and harsh.

Edward Whelan, a deputy assistant attorney general during the George W. Bush administration, rejected the choice.

“I can’t think of a worse choice for attorney general than Matt Gaetz,” Whelan wrote on social media.

Because Gaetz avoided federal charges, Harry Litman, a top Justice Department official during the Clinton administration, said he likely shares Trump’s dislike of the department.

“On a scale of 1 to 10” Litman wrote on social media“I would call that a disaster.”

Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said the attorney general must have strong judgment, moral character and a deep respect for the law, but “Gaetz has none of those things.”

“Our next attorney general will be charged with keeping the rule of law and our democracy safe, and Matt Gaetz is unfit for the job,” Himes said.

Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former White House and Pentagon spokeswoman in the first Trump administration, said Trump mocks his critics.

“Right now he’s just trolling America” Farah said in a social media post.

John Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security advisertold NBC’s “Meet the Press NOW” that it “has to be the worst nomination for a Cabinet position in American history.”

“Gaetz is not only totally incompetent for this job, he has no character,” Bolton said.

Gaetz was not a prosecutor

Attorneys general have traditionally had experience as federal prosecutors, and Gaetz’s lack of experience in that area could become a point of contention when the Senate holds its confirmation hearing.

Gaetz received his law degree from William & Mary Law School and worked in private practice before becoming a state and federal legislator. But top Justice Department and White House lawyers had threatened to quit over Trump’s proposal at the end of his first term to name a deputy attorney general with no prosecutorial experience, Jeffrey Clark, as acting attorney general near the end of his first term. his mandate.

“You’re an environmental lawyer,” Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue said to Clark during a confrontation with the Oval Office, January 3, 2021. “How about you go back to your office and we’ll call you when there’s an oil spill.”

Gaetz has been a vocal critic of the DOJ and defender of Trump

The Florida Republican has been a vocal critic of the department from his seat on the Judiciary Committee and a staunch defender of Trump.

Gaetz charged Attorney General Merrick Garland of the Department of Arms and called President Joe Biden “senile” in a closed hearing his handling of a classified documents.

Gaetz demonstrated his willingness to fight the Washington establishment by opposing McCarthy as speaker and near quarrel with other MPs on the floor of the House during the dispute. McCarthy supported a Republican rival against Gaetz in the Florida primary this year, but Gaetz won.

Contributed by: Sudiksha Kochi

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Matt Gaetz’s Trump Shocker: 5 Takeaways