Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) questions Attorney General Merrick Garland during a hearing by the House Judiciary Committee, June 4. President-elect Trump announced on Wednesday his intention to appoint Gaetz to head the Justice Department.

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Allison Bailey/AFP via Getty Images

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill responded Wednesday with a mix of support, disbelief and silence to the news that President-elect Trump plans to nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fl., as attorney general.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she was “shocked” when she heard Gaetz was asked to lead the Justice Department.

“Clearly the president has the right to nominate whoever he wants,” Collins said. “But this is why the Senate advice and consent process is so important.”

“I am sure that many questions will arise during Mr. Gaetz’s confirmation hearing if the nomination actually goes forward,” she added.

If confirmed, Gaetz, 42, would take the helm of a department that investigated him last year for possible sex trafficking crimes. Ultimately, prosecutors recommended no charges be filed against him after a lengthy investigation.

Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska told reporters at the Capitol that she is concerned about the number of open investigations surrounding Gaetz.

“I’m surprised by this particular nomination and perhaps some others as well, which again were not names that most of us thought existed,” Murkowski said. “But President Trump, if he’s not one thing, he’s his own person and he promotes his ideas.”

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, did not offer her opinion on the nominee, but said, “He’ll have his work cut out for him.”

Republicans will hold 53 seats in the next Congress after last week’s elections, meaning Gaetz could lose just three votes from his own party if he hopes to be confirmed.

A rank-and-file Republican in the House of Representatives speculated bluntly about his chances: “It’s an obvious throwaway nomination that has no chance in the Senate.”

But the skepticism is also nuanced. Fellow Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he is “inclined to support” Trump’s Cabinet picks but admitted to some “surprise” about Gaetz’s nomination.

“Confirmation hearings will be important. (Gaetz) will have to answer some tough questions,” Graham predicted.

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, whom Trump appointed as secretary of state, said he has known Matt “for a long time” and thinks he would “do a good job.” Rubio added that he expects Gaetz to be confirmed.

“Presidents deserve great respect, as the president has a mandate and the right to surround himself with people he trusts, especially in a position of such importance,” he said.

Gaetz also faces an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation related to sex trafficking and drug charges. That investigation would end if Gaetz resigned from the House of Representatives to serve as attorney general.