Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) presented reporters–who asked about the nomination of former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as attorney general–with a photo of transgender and so-called “genderfluid” officials who served in the Biden administration and asked if they “harassed” Biden’s officials during their nomination processes.
Punchbowl News’s Max Cohen reported on Johnson’s encounter with reporters on Thursday.
“When asked whether he wants to see the Gaetz ethics report, Ron Johnson unfolds a printout of this picture of Rachel Levine and Sam Brinton and asks reporters whether they ‘harassed’ Democrats about these nominees,” Cohen wrote in a post on X.
Levine, who is transgender, was confirmed by the Democrat-led Senate by a 52-48 vote in March 2021 to be the assistant secretary of health at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Brinton is a so-called “genderfluid” former Biden administration official who served in the Department of Energy. Brinton joined the Biden administration in June 2022, and in September 2022, he allegedly stole a woman’s luggage from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) International Airport, leading to a criminal charge.
The Department of Energy confirmed in December 2022 that Brinton, who faced additional accusations of luggage theft, had been fired.
President-elect Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that Gaetz is his pick for attorney general, sending shockwaves throughout Capitol Hill and reporters flocking to Republican members of Congress for reactions.
Like Johnson, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) trolled reporters when asked about the nomination.
“Do you think he’ll get confirmed by the Senate?” a reporter asked, to which Massie appeared to say “recess appointments,” which is the process by which Trump’s nominees could serve without being confirmed by the Senate.
“He’s the Attorney General. Suck it up!” Masie added.
Gaetz informed Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) of his immediate resignation on Wednesday, and his official statement was read aloud on the House floor Thursday.
“I hereby resign as the United States representative for Florida’s First Congressional District, effective immediately,” the clerk quoted Gaetz as writing.
“I do not intend to take the oath of office for the same office in the 119th Congress to pursue the position of attorney general in the Trump adminsitration,” he added.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) adminsitration is already working to schedule a special election to replace Gaetz, Florida’s Voice reports.