WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump stunned Senate Republicans by announcing Wednesday that he will nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., as attorney general.

Gaetz, a Trump loyalist known as a troublemaker in Congress, will need a Senate majority to be confirmed as the nation’s top law enforcement official. As of January 3, Republicans will have a majority of 52 or 53 seats, depending on the outcome of the Senate battle in Pennsylvania. That means Gaetz won’t have a large margin for error, assuming every Democrat is against him.

Some Senate Republicans said the process will not go smoothly.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said it will be “a significant challenge” for Gaetz to win enough votes to be confirmed.

“I don’t think it’s a serious nomination for attorney general. That is Lisa Murkowski’s opinion,” Murkowski said. “We need a serious attorney general. And I look forward to the opportunity to consider someone who is serious. This was not on my bingo card.”

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said, “He has his work cut out for him.”

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of the Judiciary Committee, which is overseeing the nomination, said the Senate “will have to seriously consider any of the president’s nominees, but we also have a constitutional responsibility.”

“I don’t know the man other than some sort of public persona,” Cornyn told reporters.

Asked about the investigation into Gaetz by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of sexual misconduct, Cornyn deadpanned, “Well, that could come up.”

“I don’t know if there’s any basis for it or not,” he added. “So yeah, I’m sure we’ll be asking a lot of questions.”

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who also serves on the Judiciary Committee, said the Senate will give Gaetz a “fair look” and that the investigations he is involved in “will be part of the process.”

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, sounded skeptical.

“Obviously the president has the right to nominate whoever he wants, but I’m sure there will be a lot of questions,” she said.

Collins said the ethics investigation “will be one of the issues that will be raised because, as I understand it, there is an active investigation being done by the House Ethics Committee.”

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said Gaetz’s confirmation prospects were “a long shot,” adding that it’s “quite possible” Trump will test the limits of how far he can push the Senate.

Other Senate Republicans declined to comment on Trump’s latest Cabinet selection.

“I have nothing to say to you about that,” said Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala.

But some Republican senators were open to Gaetz’s possibility.

“The president gets to choose his nominees,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., without saying how he would vote.

Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., did not immediately comment on Gaetz, but he said he “looks forward to receiving President Trump’s nominees after hearing their plans for the departments.”

Asked if that meant he would vote yes, he said: “Everyone has to go through committee hearings, but we want to work to confirm President Trump’s nominees.”

‘You can record me speechless’

Senate Democrats were also stunned.

“You could call me speechless,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who serves on the Judiciary Committee.

“That was at The Onion, right?” said Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt.

Retiring Sen. Joe Manchin, IW.Va. added: “I just heard the news. I can’t even believe it.”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Judiciary Committee, said Gaetz has basic qualifications for the job.

“He’s going to have a lot of problems in the Senate,” Blumenthal said. “I think this nomination will be the first big test of whether they are willing to stand up to Donald Trump. And we will know that soon.”

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., laughed and called Gaetz’s selection “God-level trolls” to “own the libs forever.”

“It’s obviously not serious,” he said. ‘No one is going to confirm him. And I’m certainly not going to panic.”

Republicans in the House of Representatives are reacting to the choice

As Trump’s social media post announcing the pick made the rounds, Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, said the reaction in the room where House Republicans were gathered was, “Oh, my God.”

When asked if Gaetz has the character to be attorney general, Simpson replied, “Are you going to ask me?”

“No,” he said, calling on the House Ethics Committee to release its report on Gaetz now.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said he worries the already small Republican majority will thin further as a result of Trump poaching several lawmakers for administrative jobs.

“We met with President Trump and said, ‘Please, no more members of the House of Representatives after Matt Gaetz,’” Scalise said.

Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, called the choice “stupid.”

“I believe the president is probably rewarding him for being such a loyal soldier to the president,” he said. “But the president is smart enough and his team is smart enough to know that Mr. Gaetz will never be confirmed by the Senate.”