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November 13, 2024 - 10:35pm
Donald Trump announced today that he will elevate Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., as his next attorney general, a post with sweeping powers over the Department of Justice.
Gaetz may be known as a bombastic MAGA supporter in the eyes of the media. He livestreams, he podcasts, he trades barbs with political enemies with acidic bluster. But for those who have closely followed his legislative career, the Florida lawmaker represents a sharp break from the corporate-friendly orthodoxy of the modern Republican Party. Indeed, Gaetz’s elevation will provide sprawling prosecutorial powers for continuing his push against special interest influence and corporate malfeasance.
His record speaks for itself. From his perch on the House Judiciary Committee, Gaetz has promoted a surprisingly consumer-friendly agenda, routinely breaking with his GOP colleagues on crucial votes. He previously supported legislative measures to break up Silicon Valley monopolies, sharply regulate the online data broker industry, ban noncompete employment contracts, and an end to the practice of forced arbitration, among other corporate accountability votes. He has also taken maverick positions on reducing FBI surveillance powers, cutting certain arms supplies to Saudi Arabia and legalising marijuana.
In addition, Gaetz has staked a position at times to the Left of some establishment Democrats. In the fight over the Ending Platform Monopolies Act — a bill designed to curb anticompetitive practices by Amazon and Google — Gaetz ended up supporting the legislation, while California Democrats close to the tech industry, such as Zoe Lofgren and Eric Swalwell, voted against it.
In an era of severe political polarisation, the Florida representative has found opportunities to support actions of the Biden administration. In August, Gaetz wrote a letter to Alphabet chief executive Sundar Pichai, urging him to “adhere fully” to the antitrust ruling against the company secured by the current Department of Justice. He has called on Trump to continue a corporate law enforcement pattern started by the Biden administration. “I would hope that whoever is the next FTC chair would continue many of the cases that Chair Khan has brought against predatory businesses,” Gaetz told the Wall Street Journal.
Gaetz’s dealings with the populist Left do not end there. Not only did he push for a crackdown on the influence industry in Washington, he teamed up with Leftist firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on a demand to end congressional stock trading over concerns that lawmakers have enriched themselves using insider knowledge. “AOC is wrong a lot,” Gaetz said, explaining the bipartisan push. “But she’s not corrupt. And I will work with anyone and everyone to ensure that Congress is not so compromised.”
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SubscribeI have not been paying nearly enough attention and only (half) knew the cartoon version of Matt Gaetz. I stand educated; thank you Lee Fang.
Going against oligopolies and predatory behaviour will be a huge task for the new AG. There are far too many entrenched and monied beneficiaries of the current system – especially big tech, big pharma and big food.
Good luck!
I suspect that Matt Geartz is an enlightened choice for AG. No wonder Washington is going bonkers.
Did I miss something? If Gaetz ‘represents the second most significant personnel choice towards a more consumer-centric GOP’ who ranks first?
That puzzled me too. Perhaps Lee Fang is thinking of Lina Khan, the head of the FTC. (Her term expired in September but she is staying on until her successor is confirmed.) As Lee Fang tells us in his article, Matt Gaetz is a Khanservative, along with JD Vance and Josh Hawley. They think that Lina Khan and her hipster-antitrust, neo-Brandeisian Democratic colleagues like Tim Wu, Jonathan Kanter and Barry Lynn are great.
Lee Fang writes as though Matt Gaetz will be confirmed by the Senate as attorney general. He won’t. He has no management experience of any kind. He’s barely even a lawyer, since he worked for only two years in private practice. He isn’t popular among his colleagues in the House. (Or I should say former colleagues–he already resigned.) Compared to the competition for the attorney general job, someone like senator Mike Lee, Matt Gaetz is like a circus clown applying for the job of CEO.
Donald Trump may have some strategic reason I can’t fathom for nominating Matt Gaetz for one of the most important posts in his cabinet. Or Donald Trump may be as crazy as Joe Biden and thinks this appointment makes sense somehow. From what I’ve seen today, I suspect the latter. But one way or another, Matt Gaetz will not be the attorney general of the United States. I guarantee it.