Former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz announced Thursday that he is withdrawing his name from consideration for President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general position.
“I had great meetings with senators yesterday,” Gaetz wrote in an article on It is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction from the critical work of the Trump/Vance transition. There is no time to waste in a needlessly prolonged brawl in Washington, so I will withdraw my name from consideration for prosecutor. general of Trump. The DOJ must be in charge. place and ready the same day 1.”
“I remain fully committed to making Donald J. Trump the most successful president in history,” Gaetz added. “I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Justice Department and I am confident that he will save America.”
Gaetz informed Trump Thursday morning that he would step down, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Trump, who had personally called on lawmakers to strengthen their support for Gaetz, issued a statement saying he appreciated Gaetz’s “recent efforts” to win Senate approval and that stepping down was his choice.
“He was doing very well but, at the same time, he did not want to be a distraction to the administration, for which he has great respect,” Trump wrote. “Matt has a wonderful future and I can’t wait to see all the great things he does!”
President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, former Representative Matt Gaetz closes the door in a private meeting with Vice President-elect JD Vance and members of the Republican Senate Judiciary Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. on November 20, 2024.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Trump announced last Wednesday that he would tap Gaetz to become the nation’s top law enforcement official. Gaetz, a conservative firebrand in Congress, resigned his seat shortly afterward.
The choice shocked many Republicans on Capitol Hill and raised eyebrows within the Justice Department.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., expressed “relief” after Gaetz’s announcement.
“I know enough people who were a ‘no’ vote at the conference to know that the road would have been very, very difficult, if possible, and I doubt it,” Cramer said.
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri said he thought it was the “right decision” even though Gaetz sounded so “optimistic” during their meeting on Capitol Hill.
Republican senators, believed to be opposed to Gaetz because of obstacles to his confirmation, openly welcomed the decision to step down.
“I think it was a great decision by the new president,” Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said.
“I think it was a good decision. I think it was important,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who was among those who publicly expressed serious concerns.
Asked if she was relieved, Murkowski said, “I am. I think it was the right decision.”
Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, who had also expressed concerns, said withdrawing was the “right decision to make.”
“There may have been information that the president was not aware of when he made the initial recommendation. Part of that process is that information comes out, and then at that point, as people reassess or evaluate, you know, the president or the individual nominee may decide that it’s not the right time to pursue the nomination,” Rounds said. “This could very well be due to the advice of the Senate rather than the consent of the Senate.”
Not all senators were as open about their views.
“It’s obviously a decision that he came to, and I think everyone had to make a decision that was good for them and their family. And for whatever reason, he decided not to pursue that,” said Sen. John Thune, the new Republican leader.
Asked if he thought it was the right choice: “We respect his decision,” Thune said.
Gaetz has faced scrutiny amid allegations of sexual misconduct, including accusations that he had sex with a minor, which he has long denied.
The House Ethics Committee was in the final stages of its investigation into Gaetz when he was named attorney general, ABC News reported. Since then, a heated debate has taken place on Capitol Hill over whether the panel should release its report.
Many senators said they believed the information in the report would be made public during his confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. John Cornyn, who met with Gaetz on Wednesday, said his hearing had the potential to be “Kavanaugh on steroids.”
Sources told ABC News in recent days that it had become clear to the Trump team that Gaetz would not have enough votes for Senate confirmation, with sources close to the president-elect telling ABC News “no path to 50” senators.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump-Vance transition, said Thursday that Trump “remains committed to choosing a leader for the Justice Department who will strongly defend the Constitution and end the militarization of our justice system.”
“President Trump will announce his new decision when it is made,” Leavitt said.
Trump has announced who he intends to install his top defense lawyers in top positions at the Justice Department. Todd Blanche was chosen as deputy attorney general and Emil Bove as senior deputy attorney general.
ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh, Lalee Ibssa and Mariam Khan contributed to this report.
