Trump names Congressman Matt Gaetz as attorney general

FILE - Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz speaks at a campaign rally for U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Henderson, Nevada, U.S., Oct. 31, 2024

Republican legislator Matt Gaetz is proposed by US President-elect Donald Trump to be attorney general in his new administration.

US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday named Republican House member Matt Gaetz as his nominee for attorney general as he races to assemble his Cabinet.

“Matt will protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations, and restore Americans' battered Faith and Trust in the Department of Justice,” Trump said in a statement announcing the selection, which is subject to confirmation by the Republican-majority Senate.

Trump's inner circle has described the attorney general as the most important member of the government after Trump himself, key to his plans to carry out mass deportations, pardon those who participated in the assault on the Capitol and seek retaliation against those who persecuted him during the last four years.

During his first term, Trump bristled at what he called an obstructionist Justice Department.

Among the targets of his criticism were Attorneys General Jeff Sessions, who allowed an investigation into alleged contacts between his 2016 campaign and Russia, and Bill Barr, who publicly refuted his false claims that his 2020 election loss was the result of fraud.