Former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz announced on Thursday that he is stepping down as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Gaetz stated in a social media post that his nomination “was unfairly becoming a distraction.”
Gaetz’s decision follows a series of meetings with Republican senators earlier this week, during which Trump’s transition team assessed whether he could secure sufficient GOP support for confirmation.
https://x.com/mattgaetz/status/1859649045553402285
“I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. 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 critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz wrote on X.
“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. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.”