Something else is going on here. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Yet, Rep. Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name for consideration as Attorney General in the Trump administration.
I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance…
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 21, 2024
BREAKING: Matt Gaetz withdraws himself from being Trump’s Attorney General pick, says his confirmation was becoming a “distraction to the critical work” of the Trump transition. pic.twitter.com/9Sq54lOBv1
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 21, 2024
The New York Sun reports:
Congressman Matt Gaetz is withdrawing from consideration to be President-elect Trump’s attorney general, he said in a statement on Thursday. He will have the option to return to Congress after resigning, as he was elected to the 119th Congress before resigning from the current session.
“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Mr. Gaetz wrote on X on Thursday. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General.”
The former Florida lawmaker was chosen to be Trump’s attorney general nominee just days after the November election, and came as a surprise to many in the nation’s capital. Senator Murkowski responded to his nomination by calling him “not a serious” candidate, and Senator Collins said she was “shocked” to hear he had been chosen. Several Republican senators also called for the House Ethics Committee’s report into Mr. Gaetz’s alleged sexual encounter with a minor and use of illicit drugs to be released to the public.
“I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history,” Mr. Gaetz added. “I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.”
Mr. Gaetz faced an uphill battle to win confirmation in the Senate, with NBC News reporting that there were as many as 30 Republican senators saying behind closed doors that they wanted Mr. Gaetz to withdraw from consideration.
