After meeting with Republican senators on Capitol Hill, Matt Gaetz confirmed he would no longer pursue the attorney general position under President-elect Donald Trump.
A few days ago, the former congressman was under pressure as the House Ethics Committee considered whether to release a report detailing the allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use against him. According to CNN, sources disclosed that the committee was informed of a second inappropriate sexual incident involving Gaetz and a minor at a 2017 party.
In a statement on X, Gaetz explained that he did not want to interfere with the work of the Trump administration. He said, “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz wrote.
“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.” Essentially, he felt that continuing his pursuit of the position would only create unnecessary complications for the administration’s important tasks.
President-elect Donald Trump commended Matt Gaetz for his efforts and showed his respect for Gaetz’s choice to step back from the attorney general position. Trump wrote on Truth Social,
“I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. 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.”
The decision to withdraw has brought a sense of relief to many Republican senators who had expected a tough confirmation process for Gaetz. One senator even said that Gaetz’s nomination was “the most challenging of the nominees,” pointing out the obstacles that were likely to arise during the confirmation hearings.
Despite Gaetz’s decision to step back, there are still uncertainties regarding his future in Congress. Senior leaders are trying to figure out whether he can rejoin the House next year, especially considering the wording of his resignation letter. Gaetz has made it clear that he does “not intend to take the oath of office” in January, but there might not be anything to prevent him from being sworn in when the new Congress begins.
Meanwhile, the House Ethics Committee is unlikely to release its findings about Matt Gaetz, mainly because the Republican members of the committee may not be interested in continuing the investigation. However, there are indications that more Republicans would push for the release of the report if Gaetz were to be nominated for a position again in the future.
