Republican turns on Trump: 'Don't have to pick between character and competency'

Former Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) on Friday night sharply criticized Donald Trump's selection of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to serve as attorney general — and gave his fellow commentators on Fox News a piece of his mind.

Gowdy, who ran the House's controversial investigation into the 2012 Benghazi consulate attack, has a history of enmity with Gaetz, who has himself lashed out at Gowdy on Fox News.

"Trey Gowdy would know something about clown shows," he said in January 2023. "That's probably how a lot of us would categorize the Benghazi hearings that resulted in people screaming at each other in a big report but no real accountability."

Gowdy was no less cutting as he explained to Fox News anchor Bret Baier what he thought of Gaetz, who abruptly resigned from Congress this week ahead of a vote on whether to release a House Ethics Committee report into allegations of child sex trafficking, acceptance of illegal gifts, and drug use.

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"I think, as I said at the beginning, a lot of these senators want to get these [nominees] through, if not all that they can," said Baier, noting to Gowdy that the FBI investigation of Gaetz for sex trafficking never ended up with charges against him.

"Well, with all due respect ... I was there for, if you want to give credit to somebody [for GOP investigations], give it to Kash Patel, Jim Jordan, John Ratcliffe, James Comer. Don't give it to the guy who was out there putting on makeup while other people were doing the investigation."

When it comes to who could run the Justice Department in a way that would satisfy the MAGA movement, Gowdy added: Trump "just picked Jay Clayton, he just picked Todd Blanche, both of whom would be fantastic. They would do exactly what you wanted done."

"You don't have to pick between character and competency," he said. "You can actually have both in a nominee. But Gaetz doesn't have both."

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