Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) met with Republican Senators this week accompanied by Vice President-elect JD Vance. With the House Ethics report leaking to the press, Mr. Gaetz has decided to withdraw his name from nomination as our next attorney general.
In a tweet, Mr. Gaetz said he didn’t wish for the incoming administration to exhaust any unnecessary political capital. He added that his nomination fight, which triggered Justice Department staffers and the political establishment, would be a “needlessly protracted Washington scuffle.”
“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. 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.
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.
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…
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 21, 2024
MATT GAETZ WITHDRAWS FROM CONSIDERATION AS ATTORNEY GENERAL
— NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) November 21, 2024
🚨 Matt Gaetz withdraws his nomination for Attorney General to prevent a distraction for the incoming Trump administration.
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) November 21, 2024
A true patriot who was wronged by the corrupt political establishment. https://t.co/pKaXobiCVD
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I’m extremely grateful for the work Matt put into the nomination process. He made his decision to withdraw entirely out of respect for President Trump’s administration. Matt is a patriot and I look forward to seeing what he does next. https://t.co/EfcFXXKRM2
— JD Vance (@JDVance) November 21, 2024
Mr. Gaetz had a reportedly damning ethics report looming over his head. The House Ethics Committee deadlocked on releasing it yesterday, preventing its release, but portions leaked to the press shortly after that. The New York Times wrote about some shady Venmo transactions.
President-elect Donald Trump has the nominations of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Pete Hegseth for secretaries of Health and Human Services and Defense, respectively. Those aren’t going to be cakewalks, either.
The sad part is that regardless of Gaetz’s alleged baggage, he would have been able to uproot the cancers at the Justice Department. Now, we’re likely going to get some stale careerist who will allow the rogue elements there to remain and operate with impunity.
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