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Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration for US attorney-general, in a blow to Donald Trump after the president-elect made the controversial former congressman his pick to run the Department of Justice.
Gaetz announced in a post on X on Thursday that his nomination was “unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance transition”.
“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,” Gaetz said. “Trump’s DoJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.”
Trump’s selection of Gaetz for attorney-general last week sent shockwaves through Washington.
Many Republican lawmakers immediately questioned the move, raising questions about whether the radical from Florida would be able to survive a gruelling Senate confirmation process. All cabinet appointees must be approved by a simple majority of the upper chamber of Congress.
Gaetz, who resigned last week as a congressman from Florida, was previously under investigation by the DoJ for allegedly having a sexual relationship with an underage girl. While no charges were ever brought, he has separately been the subject of a long-running congressional investigation into alleged sexual misconduct and drug use. He has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Trump praised Gaetz in a post to his Truth Social platform on Thursday, saying the former congressman had a “wonderful future” ahead of him.
“He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the administration, for which he has much respect,” Trump said. “Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!”
Gaetz’s withdrawal came just one day after he met several Republican senators on Capitol Hill accompanied by JD Vance, the Ohio senator who will be Trump’s vice-president, in a bid to shore up support for his nomination.
Vance did not immediately comment on Gaetz’s decision.