WASHINGTON (AP) — Just hours after Republican Sen. John Thune was elected new Senate majority leader On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump presented him with one of his first tests — an announcement he intends to characterize as controversial Rep. Matt Gaetz as Attorney General.

The Florida Republican is one of the most hated members of Congress of all, including among Republican lawmakers after leading efforts to Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House of Representatives last year. He spent his career in Congress campaigning against the Justice Department and was subjected to a House Ethics Survey investigate whether he engaged in sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, accepted inappropriate gifts, and sought to obstruct government investigations into his conduct. Gaetz denies the allegations.

Asked about the nomination as he left the Senate vote, Thune smiled and declined to answer. “That’s probably a good question for the chairman of the Judiciary Committee,” he said.

An hour earlier, the Judiciary Committee’s likely new chairman, Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, also reversed course, saying he didn’t know Gaetz but would consider the nomination. “Don’t ask me any more questions,” Grassley said.

It’s a familiar posture for Republican senators who have lived the past eight years dodging questions about Trump and defending him, even after he tried to overturn his 2020 election defeat and his supporters. violently stormed the US Capitol. But the stakes are even higher now that he has been decisively elected to a second term. Congressional Republicans have rallied intensely to himbetting their political future on its success.

Two months before Trump even takes office, he is already daring congressional Republicans to defy him as he appoints potentially controversial figures to his cabinet — including Gaetz, a former Democratic House representative. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and conservative media personality Pete Hegseth for the Secretary of Defense. On Sunday, Trump even said in a post on X that he wanted the new Senate leader to allow him to make appointments when the chamber is in recess, completely bypassing confirmation votes.

“I think it’s a bit of a test,” said Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, who called Gaetz’s nomination Trump’s “Hail Mary.” Cramer said he saw Gaetz as a disruptive force in the House and was concerned about the “serious allegations” against him, but he stopped short of saying he would not vote for his confirmation.

“It’s going to take a lot of political capital to pass it,” Cramer said, adding that “there will always be tensions between the branches.”

What’s unclear is how much political capital Trump will have to expend to push through his choices — or whether it will even be necessary. The Republicans will have a majority of 53 seats in the Senate next year, which will allow them to lose a few votes.

Immediately after his election as the new GOP leader, Thune suggested the Senate would not completely give up its power to control nominations — but kept the door open for changes suggested by Trump.

“The Senate has an advice and consent rule in the Constitution,” Thune said, adding that Senate Republicans will do everything in their power to get Trump’s nominees in place quickly.

“It remains to be seen how this will happen,” Thune said.

While Trump’s announcement about Gaetz sent immediate shockwaves around Capitol Hill, many Republican senators who will be tasked with confirming him were reluctant to publicly criticize the choice.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said he did not know Gaetz “other than his public persona” and said he would not “prejudge any of these” nominations.

Wyoming Senator John Barrasso, elected Wednesday as the second Republican in the Senate next year, would simply say that Trump “will continue to make his appointments.” We will continue to look forward to their appearance in the Senate, their hearings and the confirmation of his cabinet as quickly as possible.

“I have nothing for you,” said Sen. Katie Britt, Republican of Alabama. “We’ll see,” Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said when asked whether he would support Gaetz’s confirmation.

Some Republican senators praised Gaetz, who resigned from the House shortly after the announcement, ending the House ethics investigation and paving the way for a replacement to be elected before the swearing-in of the new Congress on January 3.

“I’ve known Matt for a very long time, we’re friends,” said Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who was sworn in as secretary of state on Wednesday but was instead inundated with questions about Gaetz. “I think he would do a very good job for president.”

Gaetz is “a smart, smart guy,” South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said, while adding “he’ll have to answer some tough questions in the hearing, and we’ll see how he does.” .

Other Republican senators, like Cramer, were skeptical but did not say they would oppose his nomination.

Gaetz “will have his work cut out for him,” North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said, adding that it should “result in a popcorn-eating confirmation hearing.”

Maine Sen. Susan Collins said she was “shocked” by Gaetz’s nomination.

“I recognize that the president-elect has the right to appoint whomever he wants, but we in Congress have a responsibility under the Constitution and our advice and consent, which will lead to hearings, a background check of the FBI and a tremendous amount of questions asked in this case,” Collins said.

Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, and I said last year that the Justice Department’s investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had concluded without any federal charges against him.

Democrats were dismayed.

“This nomination is the first test of whether Republicans are willing to stand up to Donald Trump and go about it with conscience and conviction rather than just politics,” said Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee.

New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., was even more blunt.

“People voted for cheaper eggs no matter the f@#€ price,” he posted on X, referring to last week’s election.

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Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.