Matt Gaetz resigns from Congress because Trump nods to be attorney general, Johnson says

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned from the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced.

Gaetz gave House GOP leaders his resignation the same day President-elect Donald Trump asked him to be his attorney general, Johnson said.

“I think out of respect for us, he issued his letter of resignation effective immediately,” Johnson said. “It surprised us a little bit. But I asked him what the reasoning was and he said, well, you can’t have too many absences.”

The speaker pointed out that Florida law gave the governor “about an eight-week period” to fill a vacancy in the House, and that by doing so, “we might be able to fill that seat as early as January 3rd.”

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Johnson said he is already in contact with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis about the matter.

Speaking to reporters after the internal GOP leadership election, Johnson said Trump had informed him of his decision to hire Gaetz to the Department of Justice (DOJ) earlier Wednesday morning.

He is the third Republican Trump has chosen for his new administration, after choosing Rep. Elise Stefanik, RN.Y., to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., for the National Security Adviser (NSA) ).

Trump’s two previous elections raised concerns about diluting an already slim majority likely for the House of Representatives in the 119th Congress.

But Gaetz retiring early likely alleviates some of those concerns.

But of the three elected members of the House, Gaetz likely faces the biggest obstacle to getting the job.

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The NSA role has not been confirmed in the Senate, and Stefanik’s appointment already received bipartisan praise.

But several Republican senators have already signaled some heartburn over Gaetz, an outspoken bombshell who was previously under a yearlong DOJ investigation stemming from allegations he had a sexual relationship with a minor. The DOJ ultimately did not press charges.

“He will never be confirmed,” a Republican senator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Fox News Digital.

A Senate Republican source said simply, “It’s not going to happen,” about the prospect of Gaetz’s confirmation.

The announcement came during the Republican election for leaders. One lawmaker told Fox News Digital there were “audible gasps” in the room when the news broke.

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In nominating him, however, Trump praised Gaetz as “a deeply gifted and tenacious lawyer” who “will end gun-toting government, protect our borders, dismantle criminal organizations, and restore Americans’ badly broken faith and trust in the Department of Justice.”

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House GOP leaders, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., also praised the appointment.

Fox News Digital reached out to Gaetz to confirm his resignation.