Has Matt Gaetz Resigned From House? What to know after withdrawing from AG

On November 22, 2024By Littum

Matt Gaetz announced his resignation from Congress on Nov. 13, the same day President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to be his attorney general.

Former Florida representative Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday from his nomination to be President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general. The announcement has raised questions: What does Gaetz’s career look like in the future, what happens now?

Gaetz announced his retirement from the role in an X post Thursday morning: “While momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction from the critical work of the Trump/Vance transition. There is no time to waste on an unnecessarily protracted Washington battle, so I will withdraw my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General.”

Trump nominated Gaetz to be his attorney general on Nov. 13, a week after winning his re-election campaign, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump took to his social media platformTruth Social, to respond and share his respect for Gaetz’s decision: “Matt has a wonderful future and I look forward to seeing all the great things he will do!”

Gaetz Resigns From Congress?

Yes, Gaetz announced his resignation from Congress the same day Trump nominated him to serve as his attorney general.

Representative of the House Mike Johnson announced the news of Gaetz’s departure during a press conference on November 13, adding that the move was effective immediately.

Could Gaetz get his seat in Congress back?

Yes, in theory Gaetz could regain his seat in Congress, although his political future was uncertain as of Thursday.

On November 5, Gaetz won re-election to the new 119th Congress, which begins on January 3, 2025. He resigned during the 118th Congress, which began in January 2023 and ends in January 2025.

Gaetz reportedly wrote in his resignation letter that he had “no intention of” taking the oath of office in the new Congress.

Under federal law, Gaetz could regain his seat in Congress if he were re-elected in a special election.

According to the Congressional Research Service, a special election to fill a House vacancy must be issued by the corresponding state’s governor. In this case, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis must issue the special election. The scheduling procedures for these special elections differ from state to state, but Florida law does not provide a mandatory timeline.

The next day Gaetz announced his resignation from Congress, DeSantis announced on X that he had instructed Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd to formulate and announce a schedule for an upcoming special election. A date had not yet been announced for that election as of Thursday afternoon.

Gaetz’s wife, Ginger, posted a photo of the couple on the steps of the US Capitol that says, “The end of an era.”

Why did Gaetz withdraw his AG nomination?

Gaetz did not give a specific reason for his withdrawal, but over the past week, controversy has grown over his bid amid allegations of sex trafficking with minors.

The Justice Department, which Gaetz would have led if he were attorney general, was investigating allegations that Gaetz committed statutory rape by paying for sex with a 17-year-old and for her to travel with him across state lines. The investigation was dropped without charges.

But recently, the House Ethics Committee, a bipartisan panel made up of Democrats and Republicans, began investigating the allegations. The committee had planned to vote on whether to release a report on its findings two days after Gaetz resigned from his seat in Congress last week.

Who will Trump nominate for AG next?

It is unclear who Trump will nominate to replace Gaetz as attorney general. The newly elected president has not published an announcement.

Riley Beggin and CA Bridges contributed to this reporting.

Greta Cross is a national trends reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].