Opinion

Trump’s path to confirming alleged sex trafficker as attorney general


All opinions expressed in this article are solely the opinions of the contributors.

Among all of President-elect Donald Trump’s administration picks so far, his nomination of Congressman Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to serve as attorney general stands out as one of the most controversial. In 2018, Gaetz brought a right-wing Holocaust denier to the State of the Union and later attempted to expel two fathers who had lost children in the Parkland mass shooting from a hearing after they objected to his claims about gun control. Gaetz has also been the subject of an ongoing House investigation over allegations of sex trafficking, illegal drug use and misuse of campaign funds.

Watch the video above as Straight Arrow News contributor Dr. Rashad Richey shares his dismay at the prospect of Gaetz leading the U.S. Justice Department. Dr. Richey breaks down how, even if Republican senators oppose the nomination, Trump may still push it through.


Be the first to know when Dr. Rashad Richey publishes a new opinion! Download the Straight Arrow News app and enable push notifications today!


The following is an excerpt from the above video:

Multiple Republicans in the Senate have said they are not going to support Matt Gaetz. Well, guess what? Probably won’t matter. Here’s why Donald Trump can make what’s called a recess appointment.

A recess appointment allows for the president of the United States to appoint a person in a position, a cabinet position like AG, while the Senate is in recess. According to the rules, you need 10 days, at least 10 days of recess in the U.S. Senate. And according to the Congressional Research Service, that recessed appointment can last for up to two years, then you can vote and actually have, well, a more formal Senate approval, or you could just make another damn recess appointment.

So if a president can just make recess appointments, why does it matter if the Senate, which is supposed to be a co-equal branch, why should they have to prove anything if you could just make a recess appointment?

Daily Newsletter

Start your day with fact-based news

Start your day with fact-based news

Learn more about our emails. Unsubscribe anytime.