Trump calling senators directly to lobby for Gaetz’s confirmation as attorney general

President-elect Donald Trump is doubling down on his efforts to ensure former Rep. Matt Gaetz is confirmed as attorney general, calling some senators directly to discuss the Florida Republican and ask for their support, two sources familiar with the outreach told CNN.

President-elect Donald Trump is doubling down on his efforts to ensure former Rep. Matt Gaetz is confirmed as attorney general, calling some senators directly to discuss the Florida Republican and ask for their support, two sources familiar with the outreach told CNN. Neither source disclosed whom Trump had reached out to, but they stressed that the president-elect had reiterated to allies how determined he is to get the former congressman confirmed. Trump has asked allies about the likelihood of Gaetz being confirmed but has not been deterred in his efforts, despite some hesitation from those around him, multiple sources briefed on the conversations told CNN. Trump allies have also discussed how to use the Federal Vacancies Reform Act to put Gaetz in place, which would potentially allow him to temporarily make Gaetz head of the Department of Justice in an “acting” capacity for an extended period of time. Axios was first to report on the calls to senators. As CNN previously reported, Trump’s insistence on the controversial nomination has drawn warnings from allies and lawmakers, who caution that Gaetz faces an uphill climb to secure the 51 votes needed for Senate approval. There is growing concern, too, that the spectacle of a Gaetz confirmation hearing might overshadow the priorities on which Trump has spent the last two years campaigning and for which he received a mandate to push through with his victory this month.