Posted on 11/12/2018 11:00:23 AM PST by Red Badger
Congressmen, confidantes and TV commentators are among those being considered by the White House.
WASHINGTON — Two members of congress, a cabinet official, a presidential confidant and a frequent guest on Fox News are among those being considered by President Donald Trump to be the next attorney general, multiple sources tell NBC News.
One of those, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, was a close adviser to the president in his 2016 presidential campaign. He has been largely sidelined by the administration since then but resurfaced at the White House on Thursday for what White House officials said was for a previously scheduled meeting on prison reform.
Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, and retiring Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, have also joined the list of those in the running, the sources say.
Ratcliffe, a former political appointee of President George W. Bush who was later appointed to be U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of Texas, has become a top candidate.
He was elected to Congress in 2014 and has been named as the most conservative Texas legislator by the Heritage Foundation. He made a name for himself when he grilled former FBI agent Peter Strzok in a House Judiciary Committee hearing about text messages he sent ahead of the 2016 election.
Gowdy, who led the House investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's handling of the attack that led to the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, is retiring from Congress at the end of the year and was a prosecutor before coming to Congress. He and Trump have had a contentious relationship, especially since Gowdy voted “present” on a House bill to keep the House’s Russia investigation going when every other Republican voted “no.”
Neither Ratcliffe nor Gowdy’s office responded to requests for comment.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who is close to Gowdy, has become an adviser to the president on the position. Frequently mentioned for the job himself, Graham has said repeatedly that he is not interested. But anticipating that Sessions would be fired or would resign, he has been working on a list of potential replacements to present to the president.
And Graham, who could be the next chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, could have a large say on if the nominee is successful in the Senate.
Graham said he discussed Sessions’ successor with the president at the White House on Thursday. “I’m confident the White House is looking for someone who the President and country can have confidence in, and be confirmed by the Senate,” Graham said in a statement.
Other names that have been discussed include Noel Francisco, the current solicitor general of the United States, who was appointed by Trump last year. Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar is also a contender, sources tell NBC News.
Azar's spokeswoman, Caitlin Oakley said the secretary is happy in his current job. "Secretary Azar has repeatedly said that this is the best job he has ever had and that this is his dream job. He plans to continue serving President Trump as his HHS Secretary."
Andrew McCarthy, a former assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of new York and current columnist for the National Review, is also said to be under consideration. McCarthy is a common guest on Fox News, which Trump appreciates in an official.
McCarthy has also written that acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker could be amidst an “audition” for the permanent gig. Whitaker, Sessions former chief of staff, has spoken negatively about the Russia probe when he was an analyst on CNN.
But Whitaker’s appointment is unlikely, unless he is removed from the acting position. Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, a person appointed to the position of Acting Attorney General who has not previously been confirmed by the Senate must step out of the acting position in order to be confirmed on a permanent basis.
Finally, losing Kansas gubernatorial candidate Kris Kobach has been mentioned as well. Kobach, a former Kansas secretary of state and member of Trump’s transition team who led a failed advisory board to investigate voter fraud, has also made a name for himself on hard right immigration policies. But most observers say it would be quite difficult for Kobach to ever be confirmed by the Senate because of his controversial positions on hot button issues.
Getting passed the Senate will be a key requirement for any nominee. At least three Republicans have already said that protecting the Mueller investigation is a critical concern.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said the Mueller probe “must be allowed” to continue. Senator-elect Mitt Romney tweeted “it is imperative” the probe continues, and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said it will “undoubtedly be an important issue during the confirmation.”
“Don’t pick a politician or a former politician. Pick someone who has been very outspoken against the DOJ”
Absolutely! Personally, I would go out of my way to pick someone who is really smart, very conservative, AND also who is from an non-pedigreed background and who loves to humiliate Ivy league law school graduates. I’m very serious about this. It’s time to drain not only the swamp, but the overrated academically connected as well.
THIS!
I understand Ratcliffe is pretty decent. None of the others would be any good, for various reasons.
Gowdy might be more entertaining than Sessions (if you like Kabuki theater) but would probably be even less effective.
Not Gowdy and not anyone that has future political ambitions. Ratcliffe guy sounds interesting. But not Gowdy, never got anything out of his years barking at Obama but never laid a glove in him or Hillary.
I’m partial to Judge Jeanine ................
Everyone in DC from the taxi drivers to the meter maids have POLITICAL ambitions. Its a disease carried in the wind I think.
I agree, Gowdy had very limited power in his position. If he were AG it would be a lot different.
Perfect! We need someone who would induce seizures in those people.
Yes agree!
All a Congress committee can do is investigate & make a recommendation to the DOJ if they think there is criminality. The problem is we haven’t had a functioning DOJ for 10 years! It remains to be seen if we go 11 years!
The Attorney General MUST have a license to practice law.
The Committees make their recommendation to Congress. Congress makes their recommendations to the DOJ.
I love Sydney Powell. I was going to suggest her on another thread the other day and couldn’t think of her name. She’s one smart woman.
yes I know I thought it was clear that was implied. I should have been specific. Still my main point is, without a functioning DOJ it doesn’t matter.
Though its not the immediate subject of this thread I think the National Republican Party needs a strong aggressive leader like the President. Then we will have more and better choices for all offices. The President can choose to either support or not support the candidates the party runs. Winning is what it takes and good aggressive candidates will win. We don’t have that now.
Why former elected officials, nobody in the private sector willing to take this on?
Where is that written? You were wrong about the other two, too.
And she should have more time on her hands since she’s no longer on Lou Dobbs after saying illegals were bringing diseases with them.
I see Romney is already acting like a dick. Not surprising. I loathe that man.
With worse hair...
Sydney Powell—YES! The winner
Of course he didn’t shut down the commission. However he knew the ropes as a secretary of state. In spite of that a crapfest erupted that stalled the commission and lead to its demise.
THAT DID NOT HAVE TO HAPPEN! WE LOST TWO YEARS OF INVESTIGATIONS AND PROSECUTIONS AND PROBABLY CONTROL OF THE HOUSE.
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