Virginia Attorney General Expects "Greater Sensibility" During Trump Presidency

With a Trump presidency, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares expects "a lot more common sense to emerge from Washington."

Miyares stated that he is eager for the Trump administration to repeal the burdensome regulations that have negatively affected Americans over the past four years.

"Miyares anticipates that the administration will issue more common-sense policies, including those related to the OSHA vaccine mandate and Title IX, which now allows biological boys to participate in women's sports teams."

Miyares stated that he expects numerous advancements under the new Republican administration, and "we eagerly await the outcome."

Trump and his team have already started to announce various Cabinet nominations and policy expectations following his win. Among them is Trump's announcement that he would be nominating Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to be the next attorney general.

Miyares did not explicitly state that Gaetz would be the next Attorney General, but he expressed excitement about collaborating with the new AG.

"Miyares stated, "We will collaborate with the attorney general, as the Senate's role is to provide advice and consent.""

Miyares stated that the new administration's elevated leadership choices would likely differ from the left-wing ideology promoted by the Biden administration.

Recently, Miyares challenged a lower court's decision to require the state to restore the names of approximately 1,600 potential noncitizens to its voter rolls before the Nov. 5 election.

Despite the Department of Justice's initial lawsuit against them over voter removals, Miyares and Gov. Youngkin maintained their position, asserting that the state's process was "individualized" and in compliance with both state and federal law.

In 2025, Miyares will be up for re-election, but he has not yet declared his intention to run again. Two Democrats, Jay Jones and Shannon Taylor, have already announced their plans to run for the position. On social media, both have criticized Gaetz's nomination.

As Virginia's next Attorney General, I will take on Matt Gaetz's overreach in court and hold this Administration accountable for Virginia families.

"President-Elect Trump nominated Matt Gaetz, who was investigated by law enforcement for sex trafficking and has been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee (a Republican-led committee in a Republican-majority House), as the next US Attorney General," Taylor wrote on X.

"Attorney General Miyares, the highest legal officer in our Commonwealth, should oppose this appointment and urge President-Elect Trump to nominate an Attorney General who is free from ethical concerns, rather than someone who is himself under investigation."

Trump announced his plans to nominate Gaetz as AG in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, highlighting Gaetz's focus on reforming the Department of Justice.

Gaetz announced on social media site X that he had confirmed his nomination as President Trump's Attorney General, stating, "I am honored to have been chosen for this role."

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that Gaetz resigned from his post in Congress shortly after the announcement.

The DOJ previously investigated Gaetz for having a sexual relationship with a minor, but did not charge him. Now, Republicans are expressing concerns about his potential appointment.

Planet Chronicle' Elizabeth Elkind and Kelly Phares contributed to this report.