Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said Thursday he was withdrawing from consideration as President-elect Trump's nominee to be attorney general.
Gaetz announced the decision in a message on the social platform X, saying that while he had "excellent meetings" with senators Wednesday, it was clear his "confirmation 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 wrote.
"Trump's DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1. I remain fully committed to see 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'm certain he will Save America."
Gaetz, whom Trump just a week ago said he was nominating to lead the Department of Justice, was immediately the president-elect's most controversial Cabinet pick.
Gaetz was previously investigated by the Justice Department as part of a broader sex trafficking probe, including allegations involving an underage woman. The department ultimately decided not to pursue charges, and Gaetz has strongly denied any wrongdoing.
His quick withdrawal suggests he had realized he was unlikely to win the votes necessary to be confirmed in the Senate. Gaetz could only have afforded three GOP defections assuming all Democrats in the upper chamber opposed his nomination, and several GOP senators had signaled their discomfort with the pick.
He announced his withdrawal as it became increasingly apparent he would not be able to secure support from a simple majority of senators to be confirmed.
Several Republican senators expressed relief Thursday over the news that Gaetz had dropped his bid, praising it as the right decision given how tough the path he faced to confirmation.
“I think it’s a positive development,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) said he made the right decision, given the serious “headwinds” he faced on Capitol Hill.
“He must have gotten some signals yesterday during conversations he was having with senators that this was going to be a distraction,” she said. “Good on him to recognize that and be self-aware.”
She said Gaetz’s decision would “provide President Trump with an opportunity to choose someone who’s equally tenacious about addressing the Department of Justice and its direction, which needs to be changed.”
Trump in a statement said he appreciated Gaetz's efforts.
"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. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!" Trump wrote in a message on Truth Social.
Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Trump will announce a new nomination once a decision is made.
Gaetz had been a surprise pick to be the nation's top law enforcement officer, suggesting the transition team may have weighed numerous options.
Gaetz, who has been one of Trump's most vocal supporters in the House, had mirrored the president-elect's claims about a deep state that had "weaponized" the Department of Justice, citing special counsel Jack Smith's prosecution of Trump as an example.
Gaetz’s move comes a day after the House Ethics Committee declined to release the findings of a years-long report into him, but did not completely close the door on making such a move in the future. A source familiar with the panel’s deliberations said that while the panel voted on partisan lines against releasing the report as-is, it did vote to formally “complete” the report, and the prospect of its release could come up again.
The committee is scheduled to next meet Dec. 5. The source said members left with the understanding the report would be “ready” by that gathering, suggesting another vote to release the body of work could take place then.
The House as a whole was also poised to vote after the Thanksgiving holiday on whether to force the Ethics Committee to release its findings after two Democrats made moves to trigger such a vote.
The panel has been investigating Gaetz on-and-off for the past 3 1/2 years, probing allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. He was also accused of accepting improper gifts, dispensing special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship and seeking to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.
Several Republican senators had privately suggested Wednesday and Thursday morning that Gaetz withdraw his nomination to avoid a personal wrenching experience during his public confirmation hearing, warning that his nomination would likely fail in the end.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, warned that the details of the FBI’s investigation of allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use against Gaetz would become public during the confirmation fight.
“It’s going to come to us one way or the other. There are no secrets around here,” Cornyn told reporters Wednesday.
And he warned that Gaetz’s confirmation hearing would be even messier than the brutal fight over conservative Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who was accused of sexual assault during his Supreme Court confirmation process.
Asked if Gaetz is aware that a confirmation hearing would become very messy, Cornyn said it would be “like Kavanaugh on steroids.”
“He’s a smart guy, I’m sure he realizes that,” Cornyn said.
Alexander Bolton, Emily Brooks, Rebecca Beitsch, Alex Gangitano and Mychael Schnell contributed.
Updated at 1:14 p.m. EST
