President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday announced he will nominate former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as the next Attorney General of the United States. The decision, hailed as a significant move toward restoring integrity to the Department of Justice, was made in the wake of former Representative and fellow Floridian Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal from consideration.
Read the full storyTag: Matt Gaetz
Aaron Gulbransen: Matt Gaetz Withdrawing from Attorney General Nomination Likely Signals his Run for Florida Governor in 2026
Aaron Gulbransen, executive director of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, said former U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz withdrawing his nomination by president-elect Donald Trump to serve as U.S. Attorney General signals his future ambitions to run in the 2026 Florida gubernatorial election.
Read the full storyGaetz Withdraws from Consideration for U.S. Attorney General
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., on Thursday withdrew his name from consideration to serve as attorney general, saying he believed the confirmation fight would needlessly distract from the Trump agenda.
Read the full storyHouse Ethics Committee Will Not Release Matt Gaetz Report, Democrat Threatens to Call House Vote
The House Ethics Committee on Wednesday voted against publicly releasing its report on allegations that former Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor.
Read the full storyTrump Takes His Time with Secret Service Director Choice
It just might be the most personal hiring decision President-elect Trump will ever make, but if he’s already chosen, he’s keeping the contenders in suspense.
After surviving two assassination attempts in roughly two months, Donald Trump is in the awkward position of owing his life to the Secret Service agents and officers who intervened to protect him, even as he remains deeply critical of the failures that allowed the near-misses to occur.
Read the full storyHouse Ethics Committee Will Meet Wednesday to Discuss Results of Matt Gaetz Probe: Report
Members of the House Ethics Committee will meet on Wednesday to discuss its investigation into allegations that former Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor, a source told NBC News on Monday.
The committee was expected to discuss the report last Friday, but postponed the discussion after Gaetz resigned from Congress last week after being nominated for attorney general. President-elect Donald Trump nominated Gaetz for the position last Wednesday.
Read the full storyCommentary: Matt Gaetz Is the Right Choice for Attorney General
You could almost hear the audible gasp by establishment Washington, D.C. when they learned that former Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz was going to be appointed attorney general by President Donald Trump. Truthfully my first reaction was not positive either.
But sometimes first reactions are wrong.
Read the full storyPro-Lifers Share How Trump Can Protect Pregnancy Help Centers Undermined by Biden DOJ
The forthcoming Trump-Vance administration has the opportunity to protect pro-life pregnancy resource centers that have been targeted, ignored, and undermined by the Biden-Harris Justice Department.
“President Trump, more than almost anyone, understands what it’s like to have the entire weight of the federal law and investigatory power of the federal law against him,” said Chelsey Youman of Human Coalition, which supports pregnancy help centers. “The pro-life movement feels that weight, that burden, as well.”
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Senators Hagerty, Blackburn Support Trump’s Nomination of Matt Gaetz for Attorney General
Both U.S. Senators representing Tennessee have confirmed they will support the nomination by President-elect Donald Trump of Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01) to serve as the U.S. Attorney General.
Senators Marsh Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) released statements expressing support for Gaetz last week ahead of reports the Florida Republican was calling senators to arrange meetings and seek their support during the nomination process.
Read the full storyAs Matt Gaetz Faces Opposition, Trump’s Other DOJ Picks Could Anchor His Confirmation
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., faces considerable opposition for the post of attorney general, but some of President-elect Donald Trump’s other picks for top Department of Justice officials could serve to assuage concerned senators. A conservative firebrand, Gaetz’s appointment has ruffled feathers among the Senate GOP and sent Democrats into a frenzy.
Read the full storyJohnson to ‘Strongly Request’ House Ethics Panel Not Release Gaetz Report
House Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday indicated he would ask that the House Ethics Committee not release its findings on former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., whom President-elect Donald Trump has tapped to serve as attorney general.
Read the full storyHistory of Clashes with ‘Deep State’ Signals Gaetz Would Bring Trump Reform to DOJ
In Congress, Donald Trump’s Attorney General pick Matt Gaetz was at the forefront in challenging the Justice Department and was a staunch defender of the former president, hinting at the role the firebrand could play in remaking the troubled federal agency if he is confirmed.
Read the full storyTrump Vows Crackdown on Chinese Espionage, Will Direct DOJ and FBI to ‘Hunt Down Spies’
President-elect Donald Trump plans to crackdown on Chinese espionage during his incoming administration by directing the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to “hunt down Chinese spies.”
Read the full storyPresident-Elect Donald Trump Chooses Matt Gaetz as Nominee for Attorney General
President-elect Donald Trump selected Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01) on Wednesday as his nominee for attorney general. The 42-year-old attorney has been one of Trump’s loudest and fiercest defenders, especially in stopping the lawfare against Trump.
Jeffrey Clark, a former DOJ official who briefly served as acting attorney general in the Trump administration and assisted Trump with investigating 2020 election irregularities, told The Arizona Sun Times he agreed with the selection. “Matt Gaetz is an outstanding lawyer and constitutionalist!” Clark said. ”I think he is an amazing pick by President Trump.”
Read the full storyTennessee Star’s Michael Patrick Leahy to Urge DOJ to End Opposition to Release of Covenant Killer’s Manifesto amid Presidential Transition
Tennessee Star editor-in-chief Michael Patrick Leahy announced on Wednesday he and Star News Digital Media Inc. (SNDM), which owns and operates The Star, will ask the Department of Justice (DOJ) to drop its opposition to the release of the written documents left by Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale prior to her March 27, 2023 attack that claimed the lives of six.
Leahy announced the decision during the Wednesday broadcast of the Michael Patrick Leahy Show, when he explained The Star has “decided to turn our attention back to freedom of information act, transparency requests that we’ve had going some time related to the Covenant killer manifesto,” in the wake of the 2024 elections.
Read the full storyCongressman Says Homeland Whistleblower Claims Five Assassin Teams Hunting Trump
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said Thursday that a senior Homeland Security Department official approached him as a whistleblower shortly before the second assassination attempt on Donald Trump’s life and alleged U.S. officials are aware that five different “assassination teams” are pursuing the former president. Gaetz told Just the News Editor in Chief John Solomon during an interview on the Human Events Daily television show on Real America’s Voice network that he believes three of the teams are foreign inspired and two are domestic based.
Read the full storyMatt Gaetz Introduces Bill to Bar States from Sentencing Presidential Candidates in Election Season
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., introduced legislation Thursday aimed at blocking state officials and bureaucrats from intervening in elections through politicized prosecutions and sentencings.
The Prevention of Election Interference Act of 2024 would bar the sentencing of presidential candidates in court 120 days before a presidential election. It also would prevent the candidate from being sentenced 60 days after a presidential election.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn ‘Disappointed’ in Supreme Court’s Ruling in Government Speech Suppression Case
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined many elected officials and conservative leaders who expressed disappointment with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Murthy v. Missouri on Wednesday.
The Republican attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana and five individual plaintiffs brought this court case.
Read the full storyDisbarment Trial of Trump’s Former DOJ Official Jeffrey Clark Features Stonewalling by D.C. Bar’s Attorney
The disbarment trial of Donald Trump’s former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark began last week, featuring testimony from several prominent statisticians. Clark, who is also a defendant in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s RICO prosecution, is being disciplined for drafting a letter that was never sent to Georgia officials after the 2020 election advising them of their options for dealing with the election illegalities. The trial is expected to last two weeks, into this coming week.
Hamilton Fox, the D.C. Bar’s attorney who has aggressively gone after other Trump attorneys, attempted to keep most of Clark’s witnesses from testifying. He described them as “sketchy witnesses” who want to talk about “supposed irregularities.” However, one of the witnesses who ultimately testified on Thursday had been allowed to testify in the similar disbarment trial of Trump’s former attorney and constitutional legal scholar John Eastman last year.
Read the full storyU.S. Reps. Andy Ogles, Matt Gaetz, and Andy Biggs Send Letter to the Federal Bureau of Prisons Requesting J6 Prisoner Stewart Parks Be Transferred to Minimum Security Satellite Camp
U.S. Representatives Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01), and Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) have sent a letter to the director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons requesting that unjustly imprisoned January 6 defendant Stewart Parks be moved to the minimum security satellite camp located at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Memphis.
Read the full storySpecial Counsel Hur Squares Off with White House, Says Biden ‘Willfully Retained’ Classified Memos
Special Counsel Robert Hur on Tuesday directly disputed the White House narrative on President Biden’s retention of classified documents after his vice presidency, confirming Biden “willfully” retained classified documents, indicated Biden lied to reporters when he said he did not share such information, and testified his report “did not exonerate” Biden of wrongdoing.
He insisted in nationally televised testimony to Congress that Biden did “willfully” keep nationally secrets but that prosecutors did not believe they could prove it to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt.
Read the full storyU.S. Senate Passes $95 Billion Foreign Aid Bill to Ukraine, Israel
The U.S. Senate passed a $95 billion foreign aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan after days of delay from Republicans who did not want to pass the funding without provisions to secure the southern border.
The legislation passed early Tuesday morning after a filibuster largely led by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., ended. Now the legislation goes to the House, where it remains unclear if they can get the votes.
Read the full storyKari Lake, Steve Bannon, Vivek Ramaswamy, Rep. Matt Gaetz, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Headline Second Day of TPUSA’s Third Annual AmericaFest
The second day of Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest featured several more prominent conservative speakers Sunday evening. Kari Lake, Steve Bannon, Vivek Ramaswamy, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01), and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-AL-14) riled the crowd up denouncing the Republican establishment and the far left.
Greene began her talk by observing that “Joe Biden has been in office longer than I’ve been alive.” She said she is “constantly surrounded by people that serve the rest of the world and America last and it makes me so d*** angry every single day that I wrote a book about it.” She said, “They seem to forget that there’s 50 states of the United States of America; they think Ukraine is the 51st state.”
Read the full storyAnalysis: The Unfinished Work Congress Is Leaving Behind as It Breaks for Thanksgiving
Both houses of Congress have adjourned for two weeks until after Thanksgiving even as major legislative work that must be completed before the year ends remains unfinished.
The Senate and House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown scheduled for Nov. 17 on Wednesday and Tuesday, respectively, the second such resolution since Sept. 30 amid efforts to pass appropriations bills for the upcoming fiscal year. Afterward, both houses adjourned until Nov. 27 and 28, even though they have not considered the following major legislative items, such as the Farm Bill and National Defense Authorization Act, which need to be passed before the end of the year.
Read the full storyEthics Complaint Filed Against Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy After He Allegedly Elbowed Tennessee U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett in the Back
Florida U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01) filed a formal ethics complaint against former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20) on Tuesday after the California congressman allegedly elbowed Tennessee U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) in the back while passing him in a hallway.
While being interviewed by NPR reporter Claudia Grisales, Burchett alleged McCarthy elbowed him in the back, saying it caught him “off guard” as the hit was a “clean shot to the kidneys.”
Read the full storyU.S. Rep. David Kustoff the Only Tennessee Republican House Member to Vote Against Blocking Construction of $375 Million FBI Headquarters
Representative David Kustoff (R-TN-08) was the only member of Tennessee’s Republican House delegation to vote against an amendment that would have blocked the use of $375 million for a new Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters office in Maryland.
Kustoff was among 70 Republicans voting to kill Representative Mat Gaetz’s (R-FL-01) amendment to the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act of 2024. Gaetz had tried to stop the construction of the gilded FBI headquarters earlier this year.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Speaker We Need
It might have been embarrassing, and it might have given the enemies in the political class ample opportunities to snicker and hurl insults. But at the end of the day, the result reached when Mike Johnson won a 220–209 vote over wannabe Def Poetry Jam participant Hakeem Jeffries was the best one America could have asked for.
We have, after three weeks of infighting and paralysis, a Speaker of the House — and what we have, by all indications, is something of which we can be very proud.
Read the full storyHouse GOP Conference Votes to Remove Jordan as Speaker-Designate After He Lost on Three Ballots
The House GOP conference voted via secret ballot in a closed-door meeting on Friday to remove Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as speaker-designate after he lost in 3 rounds of voting for House speaker.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Matt Gaetz Fight
Matt Gaetz did with seven other votes what Kevin McCarthy could not do with more than half of the House chamber. He imposed his will.
The general commanding a majority of the troops on the field capitulated to Democrats to keep the federal leviathan, nay, the federal Cthulhu swinging its tentacles and snapping its claws. The general with fewer troops behind him imposed the change he desired, meaning he deposed the speaker he characterized as a liar.
Read the full storyJim Jordan to Run for House Speaker Following McCarthy’s Removal
Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan on Wednesday said he will run to be House speaker, making him the first Republican to announce his intentions to run for the position following Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s removal on Tuesday.
Read the full storyFiscal Conservatives from Arizona and Tennessee Helped Depose Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House
U.S. Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) laid it all on the line Tuesday afternoon in supporting a motion to vacate to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-23) from the post he has tenuously held for less than a year.
“Speaker McCarthy has failed to demonstrate himself as an effective leader who will change the status quo. He has gone against many of the promises he made in January and can no longer be trusted at the helm,” Biggs said.
Read the full storyAfter Ouster, McCarthy Will Not Seek to Reclaim Speaker’s Gavel in Next Leadership Fight
Ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will not seek to reclaim his post in the next leadership vote after lawmakers voted to remove him on Tuesday.
Read the full storyHouse Is Vacant After Gaetz’s Motion Passes, Removing McCarthy as Speaker
The GOP-led House of Representatives voted Tuesday in favor of Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz’s effort to remove House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his position.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett Tells Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to ‘Stay in Your Lane’ Amid Criticism of Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz
Tennessee U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) responded to a tweet by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich criticizing Florida U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz’s (R-FL-01) “suicidal efforts to cripple the House GOP.”
Read the full storyNames of Potential Replacements Emerge amid What Appears Strengthening Effort to Remove McCarthy
A shortlist of potential House Republicans to replace Speaker Kevin McCarthy has emerged on Capitol Hill amid what appears to be a strengthening effort within the chamber’s GOP conference to replace him.
The effort is being led by Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, considered the biggest McCarthy critic in the conference, who has essentially said if the speaker uses Democrat votes to pass a spending bill he’ll lose his GOP speakership – in what is called a “motion to vacate.”
Read the full storyGaetz Moves to Censure Trump’s January 6 Judge
Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz on Friday introduced a resolution to censure U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan over claims she has shown “blatant political bias from the bench.”
“Judge Tanya Chutkan’s extreme sentencing of January 6th defendants, while openly supporting the violent Black Lives Matter riots of 2020, showcases a complete disregard for her duty of impartiality and the rule of law,” Gaetz said, according to The Hill. “Justice may be blind, but the American people are not – we see Judge Chutkan for her actions, and we rebuke them in the greatest possible sense.”
Read the full storyCampaign Trail Roundup: GOP Presidential Candidates Make Pitches at Iowa State Fair, DeSantis Booed at Iowa Racetrack
What a wild weekend in Iowa.
The presidential candidates who turned out for the Iowa State Fair came close to outnumbering the selections of food on a stick at the Iowa State Fair.
Read the full storyFlorida Rep. Matt Gaetz Declares ‘Huge Victory’ as Pentagon Cancels ‘Child-Friendly’ Drag Show at Nevada Air Base
The Department of Defense has put a stop to a “child-friendly” drag show event slated for Thursday at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) declared the decision to cancel the drag show a “huge victory” in the wake of his demands for answers on why such shows on military installations are continuing despite statements to Gaetz during a House Armed Services Committee hearing by Biden Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley that they were not aware such events were occurring and that they agree they should not be held.
Read the full storyAOC, Gaetz Introduce Bipartisan Ban on Lawmakers Trading Stocks
New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz have joined forces to introduce a bill banning lawmakers, their spouses, or dependents from trading stocks.
House Problem Solvers Caucus co-chair Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Penn., and Democratic Illinois Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi joined the pair in introducing the Bipartisan Restoring Faith in Government Act on Tuesday.
Read the full storyHouse Rejects Matt Gaetz’s Resolution to Remove Troops from Somalia
The House of Representatives has rejected a war powers resolution introduced by Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to remove U.S. military personnel from Somalia.
The recorded vote, held on Thursday afternoon, yielded 321 members voting against the bill with 102 voting in favor. The resolution, designated H.Con. Res. 30 and co-sponsored by Republican Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar of Arizona as well as Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, would have directed President Joe Biden to order all American troops to leave the country, with the exception of Marine Security Guards who protect the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu.
Read the full storyDOJ Inspector General Has No Answer to How Many in Government Can Spy on Americans Through ‘Backdoor’ Searches
Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael Horowitz could not answer how many people in the federal government can use the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) on Americans through backdoor searches when Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz asked him at a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on Thursday.
FISA Section 702 enables intelligence agencies to carry out targeted surveillance of foreigners outside the U.S., but they have improperly used it on Americans. There were 3.4 million backdoor searches in 2021, according to an Office of the Director of National Intelligence 2022 Transparency report.
Read the full storyRepublican States Weigh Rejecting Federal Education Funds to Block Federal Interference
Republican states are beginning to consider rejecting federal funding for K-12 education in order to keep out federal interference in the form of the strings attached to the monies.
In February, Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton said he had introduced a bill to create a task force to weigh the idea of the state rejecting the roughly $1.8 billion of federal monies it receives for K-12 education.
Read the full storyRepublicans Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, and Matt Gaetz Explain Why They Voted Against Parents Bill of Rights Act: ‘The Federal Government Should Not Be Involved in Education’
The U.S. House passed the Parents Bill of Rights Act Friday, with most House Republicans voting in favor of the bill that would require school districts to give parents access to their children’s curricula and reading lists, to inform parents of any violence occurring on campus, and to notify parents if their child is sharing a bathroom or locker room with a student of the opposite biological sex.
The measure passed by a vote of 213-208, with five Republicans voting no. Representatives Mike Lawler (R-NY-17); Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05); Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01); Ken Buck (R-CO-04); and Matt Rosendale (R-MT-02) all voted against the legislation.
Read the full storyGaetz Introduces Resolution Forcing House Vote on Removing U.S. Troops from Syria
Rep. Matt Gaetz introduced a resolution to force the House to vote on directing President Joe Biden to remove the U.S. military from Syria, where they have been involved since 2014, the Florida Republican congressman’s office announced Wednesday.
Gaetz, a House Armed Services Committee member, filed the one-page War Powers Resolution on Tuesday after four U.S. servicemembers and a working dog were wounded in a raid that resulted in the death of a senior Islamic State leader.
Read the full storyGaetz: Republicans Will Release 14,000 Hours of January 6 Tapes That Have Been Hidden from the Public
House Republicans intend to release 14,000 hours of January 6 tapes that have been hidden from the public, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) revealed on Tuesday.
During an interview with Turning Point USA (TPUSA) president Charlie Kirk on his radio show, Gaetz said that releasing the tapes “would give more full context to that day rather than the cherry-picked moments of the January 6th committee.”
Read the full storyHouse Adjourns Until 10 p.m. After McCarthy Comes Up Short for Speaker in 13 Rounds
The House of Representatives convened on Friday for the fourth day of voting for speaker and House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy has picked up 15 votes from GOP holdouts but he’s still short of the simple majority needed to win.
The House passed a motion to adjourn until 10pm. McCarthy told reporters he’s confident he will have the votes to win Friday evening.
Read the full storyAll Star Panelists Aaron Gulbransen and Carol Swain Discuss Damar Hamlin’s Injury and the U.S. House Speaker Election
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed official guest host Aaron Gulbransen and all-star panelist Carol Swain in studio to discuss footballer Damar Hamlin’s injury from Monday night’s game and the selection of a new US House Speaker.
Read the full storyCommentary: Kevin McCarthy Is Not the Right Leader for the Moment
The administration is aiding and abetting an invasion of the Southern border. Our rights are being stripped away. We are at war and the enemy is within.
In response to this existential threat, we’re told that we need to entrust a congressman previously recognized as the “tech industry’s best friend” as our leader.
Read the full storyReport: Prosecutors Recommend Not Charging Gaetz in Sex-Trafficking Case, Citing Witness Credibility
Career federal prosecutors have reportedly recommended against charging GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz is a sex-trafficking investigation, telling Justice Department superiors that a conviction is unlikely.
The recommendation is in part because of credibility issues with the case’s two key witnesses, people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post, which on Friday reported on the status of the roughly 2-year-old investigation.
Read the full storyMatt Gaetz Introduces Bill Banning IRS from Acquiring Ammunition
Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) introduced a bill this week that would ban the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from purchasing any more ammunition, after having already reached an alarmingly high amount.
As reported by Just The News, Gaetz’s bill, the “Disarm the IRS Act,” would forbid the tax-collecting agency from buying ammunition after the agency has already acquired up to 5 million rounds. In 2022 alone, the agency has purchased at least $725,000 worth of ammo.
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