Matt Gaetz Withdraws Name From Consideration As Attorney General

Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name Thursday from consideration as attorney general.

Gaetz wrote on X that his confirmation was “unfairly becoming a distraction” to the work of President-elect Donald Trump’s transition.

“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,” he wrote. “Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.”

“I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America,” Gaetz continued. (RELATED: Trump Sends His Clearest Message Yet To DOJ Bureaucrats With Unexpected Leadership Picks)

Gaetz wrote he had “excellent meetings” yesterday with senators and appreciates the “incredible support of many.”

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

The House Ethics Committee decided Wednesday not to release its report on the investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against Gaetz.

Last week, Gaetz resigned from Congress after Trump selected him for the attorney general position. His resignation came days before the committee was set to meet about the report.

“I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. 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 Thursday on Truth Social. “Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!”

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].