Byron York Rips ‘Terrible’ Matt Gaetz Nomination on Fox News: ‘Got Enemies All Over the Place’

Fox News contributor Byron York criticized President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) for attorney general on Wednesday, calling it “a terrible pick.”

Reacting to the news, York said:

I do think it was a terrible pick, and we don’t know the status of the House Ethics Committee investigation into alleged misconduct. We do know the Justice Department investigated and didn’t charge him with anything, but the thing we really know for a fact is that Matt Gaetz played a hugely aggressive role in nearly destroying the House– the Republican Party in the House of Representatives, based mostly on a personal vendetta against Kevin McCarthy, who was then the speaker of the House.

York concluded, “And I mean, he’s very lucky that the House has no role in confirmations because, as Guy said, he’s got enemies all over the place, and the reason he has those enemies was that the things he did were so damaging for no good reason.”

Trump’s decision to nominate Gaetz also shocked Fox News contributor Steve Hilton, who said his “first reaction was wow… President-elect Trump is really going for it,” as well as a number of Republicans in the House and Senate.

“I was shocked at the nomination,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). “This is why the Senate’s advise and consent process is so important. I’m sure that there will be many, many questions raised at Mr Gaetz’s hearing.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said he would have to “think about” Gaetz’s nomination, while Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) reacted, “Are you shittin’ me?”

Watch above via Fox News.