Matt Gaetz 'working the phones,' speaking to GOP senators despite difficult confirmation odds

Former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who President-elect Trump announced arsenic his enactment to beryllium lawyer wide during his 2nd term, is making calls to Senate Republicans up of his confirmation proceeding adjacent year. 

Several GOP senators told reporters this week that they spoke with Gaetz by telephone since Trump picked him to pb the Department of Justice (DOJ). 

A root acquainted told Fox News Digital that the erstwhile congressman "is dedicated to winning the enactment of senators for his information for the lawyer general," noting that "he has been moving the phones."

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Rep. Matt Gaetz speaks astatine the Republican National Convention successful Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 17, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Segar)

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said Monday nighttime that helium spoke with Gaetz days prior. "He called me," helium said. "Very little conversation."

The legislator would not divulge immoderate further accusation astir their call. Mullin and Gaetz person had a tense narration successful the past, and the legislator slammed him successful an interview astatine the time, bringing up allegations that helium had slept with an underage girl. 

"There's a crushed wherefore nary 1 successful the league came and defended him due to the fact that we had each seen the videos helium was showing connected the House floor… of the girls that helium had slept with. He’d brag astir however helium would crush [erectile dysfunction] medicine and pursuit it with an vigor portion truthful helium could spell each night," helium said astatine the time. 

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Mullin and Gaetz person had a tense relationship. (Tom Williams/Al Drago)

Gaetz denied Mullin's assertion erstwhile helium made it. Gaetz has not been convicted of charges related to these allegations. He was antecedently nether a yearlong probe by the DOJ that was prompted by allegations that helium had a intersexual narration with a minor. However, the DOJ yet decided against pressing immoderate charges. 

The comments came amid erstwhile House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's removal, which Gaetz was partially credited with. 

Mullin precocious said connected NBC's "Meet the Press" the Senate should "absolutely" person entree to the House Ethics report that probed allegations into Gaetz, including intersexual misconduct, illicit cause usage and accepting improper gifts. 

Not each Republican legislator has been consenting to spell arsenic far, with galore being vague astir whether senators should spot it oregon volition yet spot the study during a confirmation hearing. 

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Hawley said helium spoke with Gaetz. (AP)

Mullin, a adjacent state of Trump successful the Senate, said helium hasn't spoken to the president-elect astir the enactment of Gaetz.  

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., besides said helium spoke to Gaetz. "Had a bully chat with Matt Gaetz implicit the weekend," helium revealed connected Monday. "He wants to person the accidental to wide his sanction successful a hearing. And I deliberation that's a large idea."

"And I deliberation we ought to person a hearing. I deliberation we ought to determination to it arsenic rapidly arsenic we tin successful the caller Congress."

"The different night, earlier I near for the weekend, I don't cognize astir 10:30 oregon 11, I got a telephone telephone from Congressman Gaetz, and I congratulated him, and helium said, ‘Will I get a just shingle successful the Senate?’" Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said. 

"And I said, 'Absolutely. Just travel connected over, reply each the questionnaires, archer america the truth, archer america what your plans are for the agency, and I'm looking guardant to it, and I anticipation you are too.'"

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Kennedy said Gaetz called him. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Kennedy said the speech was speedy and that the 2 don't person plans for an in-person gathering yet. 

A root acquainted told Fox News Digital that Vice President-elect JD Vance is readying to marque the rounds connected Capitol Hill this week, scheduling meetings with cardinal Republican senators and Trump Cabinet nominees Gaetz and Pete Hegseth, who was selected by the preisdent-elect to tally the Department of Defense (DOD.)

"President Trump’s incoming medication is moving astatine an accelerated docket successful bid to marque bully connected getting cardinal nominees confirmed successful bid to commencement delivering for the American people. Rep. Collins (VA), Rep. Gaetz (DOJ), Pete Hegseth (DOD), and Rep. Stefanik (UN) volition each statesman their meetings this week with further Hill visits to proceed aft the Thanksgiving recess," Brian Hughes, a Trump-Vance Transition spokesman, said successful a connection to Fox News Digital.

Gaetz faces an uphill conflict erstwhile it comes to a imaginable confirmation successful the Senate, arsenic it would instrumentality conscionable a fistful of Republican votes to contradict him. The Senate GOP volition lone person a 53-person bulk adjacent twelvemonth and respective GOP senators person already expressed concerns astir Gaetz. 

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"He volition ne'er get confirmed," a Republican senator, granted anonymity to talk freely, told Fox News Digital aft Trump's enactment was revealed.

One Senate Republican root simply said, "Ain’t gonna happen," astir the imaginable of Gaetz's confirmation.