Matt Gaetz withdraws from consideration to be Trump’s attorney general | Matt Gaetz

Matt Gaetz, the former Florida congressman, withdrew Thursday from consideration to serve as Donald Trump’s attorney general amid intense scrutiny over allegations of sexual misconduct, ending the brief nomination of one of Trump’s most controversial cabinet picks.

After a meeting with senators on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Gaetz stated that his nomination “is becoming a distraction from the critical work” of the new Trump administration, he explained on X.

“There is no time to waste on an unnecessarily protracted Washington battle, and so I will withdraw my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s (Justice Department) must be in place and ready on Day 1,” said Gaetz.

“I remain fully committed to seeing 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 am confident that he will save America.”

The announcement comes a little more than a week after Trump said he was nominating Gaetz to be attorney general, the top law enforcement officer in the United States.

A staunch Trump ally disliked by some fellow Republicans in Congress, Gaetz always faced an uphill battle to be confirmed. He came under intense scrutiny last week due to allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl.

The Justice Department declined to charge Gaetz last year as part of a sex-trafficking investigation. But details of his meeting and relationship began to leak out. Just before he announced that he was withdrawing his nomination, It was reported by CNN that the 17-year-old woman he allegedly had sex with told the House Ethics Committee that there had been another sexual encounter with Gaetz.

ABC News and New York Times reported earlier this week about records of Venmo transactions linking Gaetz to women who said he paid them for sex.

Gaetz’s announcement comes a day after the House Ethics Committee deadlocked over releasing its report on the allegations. At least one House Democrat on the committee, Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois, said Thursday he would continue to push for the full release of the Gaetz report.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump, who had reportedly urged senators to lobby for Gaetz’s confirmation, said “Matt has a wonderful future.”

“I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to become Attorney General,” he wrote. “He did very well, but at the same time did not want to be a distraction to the administration, for whom he has great respect. Matt has a wonderful future and I look forward to seeing all the great things he will do!”

A staunch Trump ally known for theaters such as wearing a gas mask on the House floor, Gaetz resigned from Congress the day Trump announced his nomination. It is unclear who Trump will now choose to lead the Justice Department, which Trump has promised to use to prosecute his enemies.

Gaetz’s withdrawal comes as his choice to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, faces allegations of sexual misconduct. A police report released this week includes allegations by a woman regarding a 2017 encounter with Hegseth in which she says he took her phone, blocked her from leaving her hotel room and sexually assaulted her. Hegseth has denied the accusations.

“Matt Gaetz was a ridiculous, horrible and dangerous AG selection. That Republican senators were unwilling to rubber-stamp his nomination is a hopeful sign that some sanity remains in Washington,” Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, a watchdog group, said in a statement. “But Gaetz was not the only Trump nomination that threatened America, and there is every reason to worry about who Trump will appoint in Gaetz’s place.”