Matt Gaetz withdraws from attorney general bid

Former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida withdrew from his nomination for attorney general less than two weeks after President-elect Trump nominated the Florida firebrand for the position.

Trump's nomination of Gaetz sparked controversy surrounding an unreleased ethics report, solidifying the fact that his confirmation would be an uphill battle. Gaetz has spent the last few days lobbying alongside Vice President-elect JD Vance in an attempt to persuade senators to confirm him.

'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.'

"I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday," Gaetz said in a Thursday post on X. "I appreciate their thoughtful feedback - and the incredible support of so many."

"While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the crucial work of the Trump/Vance Transition," Gaetz continued. "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."

Republicans hold a slim majority of 53 seats in the Senate. As a result, Gaetz and other nominees would be able to lose only three GOP votes, assuming that Vance would also be voting.

"Trump's DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1," Gaetz continued. "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 resigned from his position in the House following the nomination, leaving a vacancy for Florida's 1st Congressional District seat for the remaining and the upcoming term.

"I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General," Trump said in a statement Thursday. "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!"

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