Gaetz dropped out Thursday after it became clear that the former congressman didn’t have enough support among Senate Republicans to be confirmed, said a person familiar with the matter.
The collapse of Gaetz’s nomination is a stinging rebuke for Trump in one of his first key moves as he prepares to take office and an early sign that, in at least some instances, Senate Republicans may place limits on a president-elect with a fiercely loyal GOP following. Gaetz was seen as a top choice to carry out Trump’s agenda on immigration, policing and other hot-button social issues.
Matt Gaetz has withdrawn from consideration to be US attorney general in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. “It is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz tweeted Thursday. The former congressman from Florida was the subject of a House ethics probe. Bloomberg’s Kailey Leinz reports. Source: Bloomberg
Gaetz, 42, a Florida Republican, came under intense scrutiny in response to a long-running House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct. The Justice Department also investigated Gaetz for alleged sex trafficking of a minor but informed his lawyers last year that the probe was closed without charges.
Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.
“It is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz said in a post on X 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.”
Since the his nomination was announced last week, it appeared that he faced an uphill battle for confirmation.
‘A Sound Decision’
Senate Republican Leader
“He’s got to do what’s best for him and his family, but I respect the decision,” said Senator
Trump said he appreciated Gaetz’s efforts for the nomination in a posting Thursday on Truth Social.
“He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the administration, for which he has much respect,” Trump wrote. “Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!”
Trump has indicated that he’ll push for a radical transformation of the Justice Department, which has more than 115,000 employees. The department sits at the apex of the machinery that Trump will need to carry out his agenda from enforcing federal laws to litigating controversial matters. It also plays a key role in doling out billions of dollars in grant funding for immigration enforcement, border security and policing.
Other Trump nominees that have sparked concerns even among Republicans are Fox News Channel host
Gaetz was “the outlier in regards to the level of an uphill battle ahead for Senate confirmation,” said Republican strategist Josh Novotney.
“As much as he may have been one Trump liked to maybe get in there and fire a bunch of political prosecutors, I think there are other people that are going to be effective at that if that’s what he wants to do,” Novotney said.
In the resignation letters Gaetz sent to the House and Florida governor, he said he didn’t intend “to take the oath of office” when his new congressional term begins next year.
--With assistance from
To contact the reporter on this story:
To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Mike Dorning, John Harney
© 2024 Bloomberg L.P. All rights reserved. Used with permission.