'Acid-tongued' Gaetz now trying to 'make nice' ahead of difficult confirmation: report

Within hours of being tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to be the country’s next attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) began working with his colleagues on Capitol Hill to revamp his image and secure the position, according to a new report.

And that could be a tough hill for Gaetz to climb. The MAGA loyalist, seen as the orchestrator of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA) ouster, has “earned a reputation in Congress as an acid-tongued, anti-establishment knife fighter who didn’t come to Washington to make friends,” according to the Bulwark.

“But now Gaetz wants to become the next attorney general of the United States. And he is doing something he rarely has since breaking out on the national scene: trying to make nice with fellow lawmakers, mainly the U.S. senators — the ultimate bastion of the political establishment—who are tasked with confirming him to the post,” the report said.

ALSO READ: Why Trump voters should be held accountable for their choice

Chief among his goals: convincing lawmakers “that he has the temperament” to lead the Justice Department and persuade them to not believe sexual misconduct allegations against him involving a minor, which Gaetz has denied for years.

“In private conversations with senators, Gaetz has been reiterating his denials and, sources say, he’s getting an assist from Vice President-elect JD Vance. The Ohio senator, who remains a member of the chamber until the new Congress is sworn in, has been lobbying skeptical senators," according to the report.

But some senators didn’t seem too sure just yet. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) told the publication he wants to see “everything” involving the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into Gaetz.

“We have a constitutional role to play of providing advice and consent,” Cornyn told the Bulwark. “That’s our role. The president’s role is to make the nomination. But we need to have a complete vetting of the nominees. Not only so we know that the nominee is qualified, but also to protect the president. I’m sure it’s not in his best interest to have any surprises.”