Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his nomination as President-elect Donald Trump’s Attorney General on Thursday. This followed ongoing scrutiny of a federal sex trafficking investigation, raising concerns about his confirmation as the nation’s top law enforcement official.
The Florida Republican made his announcement a day after meeting with senators to seek their support for his confirmation to lead the Department of Justice.
“Although I had significant momentum, it’s clear my confirmation was unjustly becoming a distraction from the crucial work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz stated. “There’s no time to waste on an unnecessarily prolonged Washington dispute; therefore, I’m withdrawing my name from consideration for Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be ready on Day 1.”
Gaetz’s withdrawal hinders Trump’s efforts to appoint loyalists to his administration and marks an early sign of potential resistance from within his own party.