GOP faces 'moral courage' test over 'remarkably dishonest and depraved' nominee: columnist

Senate Republicans, fresh off their vote to have John Thune (R-SD) take over as majority leader under Donald Trump's second term, face a looming "moral courage" test, according to a New York Times columnist.

After news broke that Trump nominated Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) for attorney general, columnist David French wrote Wednesday that the choice was "particularly dreadful."

"He isn’t just the least-qualified attorney general in American history (he barely practiced law before running for elected office and has served mainly as a MAGA gadfly in Congress), he’s also remarkably dishonest and depraved," wrote French.

Trump's nominations, added French — including his choices of Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard for secretary of defense and director of national intelligence, respectively, prove Trump meant what he said.

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" He is going to govern with a sense of vengeance, and personal loyalty really is the coin of his realm," wrote French.

As such, French called Gaetz’s nomination a "test" for Senate Republicans.

"Can they summon up the minimum level of decency and moral courage to reject Gaetz? Or will they utterly abdicate their constitutional role of advice and consent in favor of simply consenting even to Trump’s worst whims?" he asked.

Gaetz resigned from Congress shortly after his name was announced and has become highly controversial even within his own party.

He was investigated by the FBI in a child sex trafficking case, but ultimately never charged and denied all allegations. He has been the subject of a monthslong House Ethics Committee investigation, which is looking into trafficking allegations as well as reports of illegal drug use, campaign finance violations, and other offenses.