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Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration for US attorney general, a blow to Donald Trump after the president-elect made the controversial former congressman his choice to run the Justice Department.
Gaetz declared in a post on X Thursday that his nomination is “unfairly distracting from the important work of the Trump/Vance transition.”
“There is no time to waste on unnecessary bickering in Washington, so I will withdraw my name to serve as attorney general,” Gaetz said. “Trump’s DoJ should be in place and ready on day one.”
Trump’s pick of Gaetz for attorney general last week sent shockwaves through Washington.
Many Republican lawmakers immediately questioned the move and raised questions about whether the radical Florida native would survive the Senate’s rigorous confirmation process. All cabinet appointments must be approved by a simple majority of the upper house of Congress.
Gaetz, who resigned as a Florida congressman last week, was previously under investigation by the DOJ for allegedly having sex with an underage girl. Although never charged, he has separately been the subject of long-running congressional investigations into alleged sexual misconduct and drug use. He has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Trump praised Gaetz in a post on his Truth social platform on Thursday, saying the former congressman has a “fantastic future” ahead of him.
“He was doing a great job but, at the same time, didn’t want to be a distraction to the administration, which he has a lot of respect for,” Trump said. “Matt has an amazing future, and I look forward to seeing all the great things he will do!”
Gaetz’s withdrawal came just a day after he met with several Republican senators on Capitol Hill, including J.D. Vance, the Ohio senator who will be Trump’s vice president, to drum up support for his nomination.
Vance did not immediately comment on Gaetz’s decision.
