Trump 2.0: Tulsi Gabbard nominated to head US Intelligence, Matt Gaetz to lead Justice Department

Donald Trump has nominated two controversial figures for key roles. The US president-elect has picked Tulsi Gabbard, the Democrat turned Republican who questioned US intelligence, to lead the same department. His other pick is firebrand lawmaker Matt Gaetz, whom he nominated as his pick for attorney general. The Congressman is a staunch defender of the president-elect and a vocal critic of what he calls “weaponised” government.

Who is Tulsi Gabbard?

Gabbard is a former Democrat and military veteran known for her outspoken anti-interventionist views, and she’s been tapped to lead US intelligence. She has direct experience with war, having served in Iraq with the Army National Guard of her native Hawaii.

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As per AFP, Gabbard’s journey to this appointment has been anything but conventional. A Democrat-turned-Republican, she has built a reputation as an establishment sceptic, often at odds with both parties. Gabbard has spoken against US intelligence findings in the past, notably questioning presidents, including Trump, on reports like the one on chemical attacks in Syria, and has condemned what she views as America’s “regime change wars.”

Who is Matt Gaetz?

Congressman Matt Gaetz, Trump's pick for the US Attorney General, is known for his fierce loyalty to Trump and is believed to have been well-placed to make good on Trump's threats of revenge against political foes.

Posting on social media, the US president-elect wrote, “Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponisation of our Justice System. Matt will end Weaponised Government… and restore Americans' badly shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.”

A US congressman since 2017, he is among Trump's most controversial picks.
 
While Trump touts him as a bold choice to “restore faith” in the Justice Department, Gaetz is no stranger to legal and ethical troubles and has an unresolved House ethics investigation. He is allegedly involved in a Justice department — which he will now head — probe into sex trafficking and obstruction of justice.

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Gaetz has dismissed the probe as a “political payback exercise” and “uncomfortably nosy.”

Scepticism about his nomination remains high. According to a CNN report, citing unnamed sources, there was “an audible gasp” when House Republicans meeting behind closed doors were informed of Gaetz's nomination.

Some senators have already expressed doubts. Speaking to Scripps News, Republican Party's Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski said: “Do you think he's a serious candidate? Not as far as I'm concerned.”

While another Senator, Susan Collins, said she was “shocked” by the announcement.

(With inputs from agencies)