Trump picks Matt Gaetz for attorney general, Marco Rubio for secretary of state

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump chose Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general on Wednesday, bypassing more experienced options in favor of a loyalist who has built a national reputation as a disruptor and whom Trump has tasked with dramatically overhauling the Justice Department.

Trump also announced that he had tapped Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as his nominee for secretary of state. And he selected Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic member of Congress and presidential candidate, to serve as his director of national intelligence.

The choices continued a pattern of Trump stocking his Cabinet with those he believes he can trust to execute his agenda rather than longtime officials with experience in their fields. Gaetz's selection, in particular, was seen as a shock. The Florida lawmaker was not among the more established attorneys who had been mentioned as contenders for the job, and even his colleagues in Congress appeared stunned by the news.

“Everybody was saying, ‘Oh my God,’" said Republican Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho. “That was about as big a surprise as I’ve had in a long time."

Gaetz resigned from his House seat Wednesday evening.

Trump announced the decision in a post in his Truth Social network, saying Gaetz would “root out the systemic corruption at DOJ, and return the Department to its true mission of fighting Crime, and upholding our Democracy and Constitution.”

If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, Gaetz would instantly become one of the most closely watched members of Trump’s Cabinet given his avowed loyalty to a president-elect who has threatened to pursue retribution against perceived adversaries.

Gaetz represents much of the Florida Panhandle and became a conservative star when he joined Congress, appearing as a frequent staunch defender of Trump on cable news.

He irked fellow GOP members in early 2023 when he filed the resolution that successfully ousted former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy then helped fund a primary challenge to Gaetz that included commercials alleging that he paid for sex with a 17-year-old, an allegation that had been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee — though that probe effectively ended Wednesday when Gaetz resigned from Congress. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and the Justice Department ended its own sex trafficking investigation without bringing charges against him.

House Republicans first got wind of the nomination during a private meeting and initially thought the news was a joke before realizing Trump had indeed named Gaetz to serve as the nation's chief law officer.

GOP Rep. Max Miller told reporters the shock in the room was more a reflection of members' happiness that the Florida Republican will no longer be a member of the chamber after years of instigating intraparty battles.

Even Trump’s allies in the Senate were keeping their distance.

“We’ll see,” said Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin when asked whether he would vote to confirm the congressman.

Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, suggested that the Senate would look closely into Gaetz, including the House Ethics Committee investigation.

“I’m sure it will make for a popcorn-eating confirmation hearing,” said GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who serves on the committee that will take up the Gaetz nomination, said it would be "the first test of whether Republicans are willing to stand up to Donald Trump and go with conscience and conviction as opposed to just politics.”

The announcement came shortly after Trump confirmed that he had picked Rubio, a conservative lawmaker, as the nation’s top diplomat. A onetime critic who evolved into one of the president-elect’s fiercest defenders, Rubio is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump’s running mate this summer. He would be the first Latino in the job if confirmed.

On Capitol Hill, Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has pushed for taking a harder line against China and has targeted social media app TikTok because its parent company is Chinese. He and other lawmakers contend that Beijing could demand access to the data of users whenever it wants.

“He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement.

Trump made the personnel announcements while flying back back to Florida from Washington after meeting with President Joe Biden.

The president-elect had been expected to pick Rubio for the post, but had also faced pressure from people pushing Ric Grenell, who served as acting director of national intelligence during Trump’s first administration.

Grenell responded to the news on on X, writing, “Congratulations, Senator. You will be great for America!”

The selection is the culmination of a long, complicated history between Trump and Rubio. During their tense competition for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, Rubio was especially blunt in his criticism of Trump, calling him a “con artist” and “the most vulgar person to ever aspire to the presidency.”

He tried to match Trump’s often-crude attacks by joking about the size of Trump’s hands in a reference to his manhood. Trump responded by branding Rubio as “little Marco,” a nickname that stuck with the senator for years.

But like many Republicans who sought to maintain their relevance in the Trump era, Rubio shifted his rhetoric. As speculation intensified that Trump might pick him as his running mate, Rubio sought to play down the tension from 2016, suggesting the heated tone simply reflected the intensity of a campaign.

“That is like asking a boxer why they punched somebody in the face in the third round,” Rubio told CNN when asked about his previous comments. “It’s because they were boxing.”

Rubio was first elected to the Senate in 2010 as part of the tea party wave of Republicans who swept into Washington. He quickly gained a reputation as someone who could embody a more diverse, welcoming Republican Party. He was a key member of a group that worked on a 2013 immigration bill that included a path to citizenship for millions of people in the country illegally.

But that legislation stalled in the House, where more conservative Republicans were in control, signaling the sharp turn to the right that the party — and Rubio — would soon embrace. Now, Rubio says he supports Trump’s plan to deploy the U.S. military to deport those in the country illegally.

“We are going to have to do something, unfortunately, we’re going to have to do something dramatic,” Rubio said in a May interview with NBC.

Gabbard, meanwhile, will serve as director of national intelligence. Both Vice President-elect JD Vance and Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr. had been advocating for her to get a position in the administration, after she grew close with them during the campaign.

She helped prepare Trump for his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, announced she was becoming a Republican at a Trump rally during the race’s final stretch, and received huge cheers from his crowds at events.

Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider, compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions.

Gabbard hasn’t worked directly in the intelligence community, outside of House committees, including two years on the Homeland Security Committee. Like others Trump has selected for his agency leadership, she has been among his most popular political surrogates, often drawing thunderous responses from crowds as she stumped for him in the campaign’s closing months.

Colvin reported from New York and Miller reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Stephen Groves, Farnoush Amiri, Eric Tucker and Kevin Freking contributed to this report from Washington.

FILE - Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard, File)

FILE - Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., departs after speaking during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, at the National Harbor, in Oxon Hill, Md., Feb. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

FILE - Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., smiles as he addresses supporters Nov. 8, 2012, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

Tulsi Gabbard arrives before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at PPG Paints Arena, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Pittsburgh, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

FILE - Stephen Miller arrives before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

FILE - Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Allentown, Pa., Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

FILE - Stephen Miller arrives before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The flurry of contract agreements announced early this fall — including two more Wednesday — offer evidence that major railroads and their unions are working to avoid the standoffs that led them to a brink of a national strike two years ago.

Both sides are also now keenly aware that President-elect Donald Trump — who has a track record of supporting big businesses — would be the one ultimately appointing the people who would help resolve the contract dispute this time if they can't work something out themselves.

“I think overall it may lead the unions and employers to want to bargain more intensively and come to agreements sooner,” said Todd Vachon, who teaches in the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations.

But it still won’t be easy to satisfy all the workers who remain concerned about the widespread job cuts and have seen much bigger raises in other labor disputes.

Current contracts don't expire until July but the National Carriers Conference Committee group that negotiates on behalf of the railroads said in its statement at the start of the talks on Nov. 1 that it was hoping for an early resolution. And just Wednesday, the railroads announced two new tentative agreements with the Transportation Communications Union and the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen.

The railroads play such a crucial role in the economy that the president and Congress have the power to intervene because so many businesses rely on them to deliver their raw materials and finished goods. The Railway Labor Act that governs railroad contract talks dictates that if the two sides can't reach an agreement, the dispute could wind up in the hands of a special board of arbitrators the president appoints that would hear from both sides and recommend a deal. That happened in 2022 — though the industry still reached the brink of a strike.

The two unions that inked deals Wednesday and several others among the 12 rail unions had already reached some agreements with CSX, Norfolk Southern and BNSF railroads even before the formal talks began between the unions and a coalition of railroads that includes Norfolk Southern, BNSF and Canadian National. The other major railroads — CSX, Union Pacific and CPKC — have decided to bargain individually with their unions.

“I think we all saw the perils of going through that again,” Norfolk Southern CEO Mark George said about the yearslong battle the industry engaged in last time that created “a lot of anxiety and uncertainty in the labor force.”

The industry has also made strides over the past two years toward addressing some of the quality-of-life concerns that nearly led to a strike in 2022 before Congress and President Joe Biden intervened. In the two years since the nation’s freight railroads nearly ground to a halt, the industry has offered paid sick time to 90% of them — at the urging of the Biden administration and other officials — and most railroads have promised to improve the unpredictable schedules of train crews who were generally on call 24-7 without any idea when their next day off might come.

As a result, the relationships between the major freight railroads and the dozen different unions that represent their workers have generally improved, though they remain strained at times.

The president of the largest rail union that represents conductors — SMART-TD — Jeremy Ferguson said, “We've come a long way in two years.” But many workers still feel overworked and underappreciated by the railroads after the job cuts made in the name of efficiency in recent years.

CSX's CEO Joe Hinrichs, who has led the industry with the first sick-time deals and other efforts to show employees they are appreciated, said he's optimistic about the prospects for deals.

“We’re in a dramatically different place than we were two years ago, that’s for sure,” Hinrichs said. “I think what’s gotten us there is just everyone stepping back at CSX and at the unions and saying, OK, no one was satisfied what happened last time. What are we going to do differently this time?”

A bunch of those early deals were ratified this fall, not long after the first ones were announced in the midst of the labor dispute that brought Canadian National and CPKC railroads to a halt for a few days in Canada. But more recently, deals that offer 18.8% raises and improved vacation and health benefits over five years have been getting voted down after workers at Boeing and the East Coast ports secured deals with much larger raises following their strikes.

Josh Hartford with the Machinist Union's District 19 rail division said that with a deal with CSX already out for a vote when the longshoreman secured their big raises, there wasn't enough time to explain why this contract — coming on the heels of the 24% raises rail workers received in their last contract — might be considered a good deal. The port workers had gone longer without a new deal before this one that includes 62% raises.

But Hartford said “the morale is still poor” on most railroads after all the cuts and there is a strong feeling among some workers that maybe they could get more if they fight longer, so the Machinists rejected that deal. Conductors have also voted down all but one small deal on part of BNSF they have considered so far, and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union has been unwilling to sign onto any of these early deals. Plus, the third largest union that represents track workers split on the deals it voted on so far.

So getting all the unions to agree won't be easy. Consider that BLET is locked into a lawsuit with Union Pacific trying to get that railroad to deliver the schedule improvements it promised, and SMART-TD is headed into arbitration on scheduling issues at UP and crew size details at BNSF.

BLET union president Eddie Hall said his organization that represents engineers “wasn’t going to rush into deals that didn’t deliver.”

“Some of the deals that were reached early by other unions were hurried and failed to meet the needs of those railroaders who operate trains,” said Hall, who cited concerns about the expanding use of remote-control trains, the ever-increasing length of trains and the impact of all the job cuts.

But the pressure will be on the unions to settle because the Biden administration won’t be there anymore to lean on the railroads, said Virginia Commonwealth University professor Victor Chen, who studies labor issues as a sociologist.

“I expect the Trump 2.0 administration will continue with its earlier playbook of blocking unions at every turn. In negotiations, the unions will need to keep in the back of their minds that the White House will no longer step up for them the way that Biden did,” Chen said.

FILE - A worker boards a locomotive at a BNSF rail yard, Sept. 14, 2022, in Kansas City, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)