Trump’s attorney general pick troubles some evangelicals

Editors’ Note: WORLD reached out to a variety of leaders in the evangelical Christian community for this story. Hunter Baker is a WORLD Opinions contributor. R. Albert Mohler Jr. is the WORLD Opinions editor. Megan Basham is a former WORLD staffer.

President-elect Donald Trump controversially nominated Matt Gaetz for U.S. attorney general earlier this week.

Like the other presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Trump used broadly religious speech on the campaign trail to appeal to evangelical voters. But less than two weeks after winning at the polls, evangelical leaders have mixed reactions and even concerns with his pick.

Former Rep. Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned from Congress effective immediately on Wednesday after Trump named him as his pick to be attorney general, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. Gaetz told him he was resigning early so his seat could be filled before the new congressional term starts Jan. 3, the House speaker said. Gaetz’s appointment as attorney general remains subject to confirmation by the Senate.

The Liberty Counsel on Thursday said the former congressman from Florida was not morally or professionally qualified to serve as the next attorney general. The religious liberty law firm referenced allegations that Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. Gaetz has long denied any wrongdoing. The Counsel also noted that Gaetz resigned from Congress just two days before the House ethics committee was set to release a report about its investigation into his behavior. In the past, the former congressman has said the ethics committee investigations were frivolous.

WORLD left messages seeking comment from Gaetz about criticism of his appointment but did not hear back Friday morning or early afternoon.

What are other Christians saying about Gaetz’s appointment? Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. told WORLD Gaetz’s nomination was shocking. While Mohler acknowledged that shock tactics are part of Trump’s political playbook, he explained the appointment was shocking due to Gaetz’s significant personal controversies. The former representative’s decision to resign just days before the House Ethics Committee could have published a report on his actions only amplified those controversies, Mohler added.

Christian author Hunter Baker, who holds a law degree from the University of Houston, told WORLD he was surprised that Trump picked Gaetz for the role of attorney general. The former Congressman has been a staunch supporter of Trump but doesn’t bring the resume' and experience one would typically associate with the job, Baker said. He acknowledged that the allegations against Gaetz presented cause for concern. But since Trump has also faced allegations of wrongdoing, he might not see them as much of an obstacle, Baker added.

New York Times-bestselling author and Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham told WORLD that she’d heard from numerous theology professors and pastors about Gaetz’s nomination. Largely, older evangelicals said they’d find it hard to take him seriously. Millennial evangelicals seemed to believe Trump is making a concerted effort to end the weaponization of the federal government.

But others believed Trump was playing “4-D chess,” as Basham described it, and that he didn’t intend to actually appoint Gaetz. Rather, they believed Trump was naming Gaetz so that the Senate would initially balk at him, making it easier for Trump to pass another nominee later who held views similar to Gaetz but didn’t carry as much controversy, Basham explained.

When asked about the allegations against Gaetz, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters that it wasn’t his decision to nominate Gaetz and that such choices were up to Trump. Johnson called Gaetz an accomplished attorney and praised Gaetz’s desire to push back against the politicization of government offices and reform the Justice Department. The House speaker has said he is a Christian in the Southern Baptist denomination.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton—a self-described Lutheran— said on social media Thursday that Gaetz lacked both the competence and character necessary to serve as attorney general.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about how the House Ethics Committee is under pressure to release a report about Gaetz even after he left Congress.