Matt Gaetz withdraws bid to be attorney general in incoming Trump administration

NEWS WIRES

21 November 2024 at 3:13 pm·1-min read

US Florida Representative Matt Gaetz speaks during the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 17, 2024.

Former Republican representative Matt Gaetz on Thursday withdrew his bid to serve as attorney general in President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration after a week of fierce criticism. In addition to his lack of legal experience, Gaetz has previously been investigated by the FBI on sex trafficking allegations and has been facing an ethics committee probe into accusations of sexual misconduct.

Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation's chief federal law enforcement officer.

The announcement averts what was shaping up to be a pitched confirmation fight that would have tested how far Senate Republicans were willing to go to support Trump's Cabinet picks. It represents a setback in Trump's efforts to install fierce loyalists in his administration and is the first indication of the resistance the incoming president could face within his own party to picks with checkered backgrounds.

“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,” Gaetz, a Florida Republican who one day earlier met with senators in an effort to win their support for confirmation to lead the Justice Department.

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

(AP)

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