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'Worst in history': Ex-Trump adviser challenges GOP to 'stand up' against cabinet picks

Donald Trump's former national security adviser denounced the president-elect's latest nominees as two of the worst in history.

John Bolton, who frequently clashed with Trump during his 18-month tenure as national security adviser and has been an outspoken critic after leaving his administration, condemned the former and incoming president's choices of Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence and Matt Gaetz as attorney general.

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'It's a trainwreck': Ex-senior FBI official says Matt Gaetz is more than just unqualified

During an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," former FBI senior official Chuck Rosenberg was pressed by the co-hosts to predict what would happen at the Department of Justice should Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) somehow receive Senate approval to become the next attorney general.

In a word, the legal expert said it would turn into a "trainwreck."

While speaking with co-host Jonathan Lemire, who was skeptical of the Florida Republican's chances, Rosenberg was asked, "If Gaetz were to get in, what would that look like?"

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"It wouldn't look good, Jonathan," the attorney replied. "You just mentioned that he is unqualified for the office and of course he is. But, in a sense, everyone is unqualified for that office."

"The work for the Department of Justice is so deep, and so broad and complex nobody comes in knowing everything about tax, or anti-trust, or civil rights, civil work or criminal work, everything from the Federal Bureau of Prisons to the Federal Bureau of Investigations," he elaborated.

"So it is not just that he is unqualified, Jonathan," he added. "You look for three things, I think, in an attorney general, Republican, Democrat, male, female, black, white –– absolutely meaningless unless you have all three of these things: integrity, judgment and independence. If you have those three things, we're fine. And if you don't have those three things, we're not."

"So what does it look like if Matt Gaetz becomes the attorney general of the United States. It's a trainwreck," he added.

Watch below or at the link.

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Trump's latest plan 'would really be pushing the limits' of his powers: CNN conservative

A conservative commentator questioned the constitutionality of Donald Trump's demand to the Senate's Republican majority to give up their role in approving his nominees for top government positions.

The president-elect is pushing newly elected GOP majority leader John Thune (R-SD) to abdicate the confirmation process outlined in the U.S. Constitution as a legislative check on his executive power by allowing recess appointments, and CNN's Scott Jennings said that might be the only way Matt Gaetz could become attorney general.

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'Why?' Legal expert challenges conservative over Trump's 'woefully unqualified' nomination

A conservative commentator expressed doubts that Donald Trump could get MAGA loyalist Matt Gaetz confirmed as attorney general, and a legal analyst asked why the president-elect had chosen the "woefully unqualified" former congressman in the first place.

Trump tapped the Florida Republican, who immediately gave up his congressional seat as the House Ethics Committee prepared to release a report on his conduct with teenage girls, and CNN's Scott Jennings said the choice showed the newly elected president was feeling confident.

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'Conspiracy': MSNBC's Morning Joe gets personal about Matt Gaetz AG nomination

The co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" got personal on Thursday while reporting on Donald Trump's stunning decision to announce Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as his attorney general nominee.

The segment started off with an out-of-character disclaimer from Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski stating that it is their job to remain fair in their commentary before they turned to an earlier report that the Florida Republican has previously been accused of having a file on Scarborough based upon conspiracy theories that have long been debunked.

Brzezinski began with, "According to the Washington Post, Gaetz has been under investigation of the bipartisan committee for allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, illegal drug use, and accepted improper gifts."

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She then continued, "And now more on the character of Matt Gaetz and how it connects to this show. Donald Trump began tweeting about widely discredited conspiracy theories about Joe after receiving documents given to Trump by Congressman Gaetz."

"That's according to former White House communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin. She revealed the information in 2022 during her deposition before the House select committee investigating the January 6th attack," she continued. "She told lawmakers she was in the West Wing with Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and Gaetz when she noticed he had a folder with him. When she asked him what was in it she said Gaetz pulled out conspiracy theories about Joe Scarborough."

"Farah Griffin said she then told Gaetz he could not put that in front of the president right as she was getting ushered into the Oval Office," Brzezinski continued. "The next morning, then president Trump started tweeting about those debunked conspiracy theories. Trump tweeted about those lies to millions of followers for at least five times over the next three years. Those posts caused so much pain and emotional trauma for the widower of an aide who worked for Joe, that the widower himself wrote an open letter to Jack Dorsey, the then CEO of Twitter pleading with him to remove the posts from social media, from the platform, writing, quote, 'My wife deserves better.'"

"Twitter never deleted the posts, responding in a statement that the tweets did not violate its terms of service," she added

Scarborough then interjected with, "They of course changed the terms of service the next day, so..."

You can watch below or at the link here.

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'Caused such a stir': Reporter sheds light on 'the point' of Trump's controversial picks

Donald Trump has made some cabinet choices that have confused and upset even his closest congressional allies, and there's a reason for that, according to a CNN reporter.

Trump's choice for Tulsi Gabbard to be the nation's top spy and for Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth to be defense secretary have caused some outrage, but nothing comes close to the former and incoming president's choice for Matt Gaetz to be Attorney General.

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Republican catches self after saying trust in GOP 'proof' Americans 'don't pay attention'

A Republican lawmaker corrected himself after telling the New York Times that the fact his part earned the trust and support of voters this year is “proof that the American people don’t pay attention to the details of our politics.”

Anni Karni, Congressional reporter at the Times, wrote in an analysis Wednesday evening that Republicans have for nearly two years "barely been able to overcome their own intraparty feuding to keep the government functioning."

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'He's the perfect choice!' Conservative mocks Trump's nominee for attorney general

Donald Trump’s widely criticized selection of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as the country’s next attorney general didn’t come as a shock to conservative lawyer George Conway, who sarcastically praised the pick — but not for the appointee’s legal prowess or breadth of experience.

“Everybody is shocked, surprised — there's nothing surprising about this,” Conway, a staunch Trump critic and Lincoln Project co-founder said Wednesday night during an appearance on CNN’s “The Source” with Kaitlan Collins. “Matt Gaetz, in a lot of ways, is the perfect attorney general for Donald Trump.”

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'You will face an immediate primary challenge': Another Trump ally threatens Republicans

Another close ally of Donald Trump threatened fellow Republicans on Wednesday who are waffling — or outright rejecting — the president-elect's pick for attorney general.

After Republicans including Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) fired warning shots at Republicans thinking of breaking rank on confirming Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as the nation's next top prosecutor, another MAGA ally joined the effort.

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Ex-prosecutor flags 2 key categories that could be released in Jack Smith’s final reports

Whether Special Counsel Jack Smith’s final reports outlining his investigation and indictments of Donald Trump become public is coming down to the wire, according to a legal expert, who said that two key categories of information are worth following as the country – and those the former president has promised vengeance on – await his return to the Oval Office.

The criminal cases still pending in Washington D.C. involving Trump include his efforts to overthrow the 2020 election, including his instigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, and the classified documents probe, which, according to law professor Kim Wehle, “was already dismissed by the judge in a ridiculous ruling.”

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'Stunningly unqualified': Expert urges Senate to reject Trump's spymaster pick

Anti-Trump conservative and former Naval War College professor Tom Nichols urged the Senate to reject Donald Trump's pick of former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence in a scathing article for The Atlantic.

Gabbard, who was a Democrat for years but constantly critical of her party and started supporting Trump more recently, has no qualification for the role, he warned — and has radical anti-American views that would completely undermine the intelligence community.

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Trump 'seriously considering' his hush money attorney for deputy attorney general: report

A key legal adviser to President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly in the running to become his next deputy attorney general.

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins reported Wednesday night on her show, "The Source" that Trump is "seriously considering" naming his lead attorney Todd Blanche to serve as the next deputy attorney general.

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GOP faces 'moral courage' test over 'remarkably dishonest and depraved' nominee: columnist

Senate Republicans, fresh off their vote to have John Thune (R-SD) take over as majority leader under Donald Trump's second term, face a looming "moral courage" test, according to a New York Times columnist.

After news broke that Trump nominated Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) for attorney general, columnist David French wrote Wednesday that the choice was "particularly dreadful."

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