Gaetz Won’t Serve as AG, Says His Confirmation Would Be a ‘Distraction’
On Thursday, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz announced on X that he’ll be withdrawing his name from consideration for attorney general after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him last week.
Gaetz said that he met with senators on Wednesday and 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 would have needed to be confirmed by the Senate to assume the role.
“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.”
Previous update, Nov. 13:
President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday he’s nominating Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a far-right firebrand and fervent Trump supporter, to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Gaetz would replace Attorney General Merrick Garland, a former judge who was appointed by Biden in 2021, to lead the agency and its more than 100,000 employees. Gaetz would be the nation’s top legal officer.
Trump called Gaetz “a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney, trained at the William & Mary College of Law, who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice.”
On X, Gaetz said it would be “an honor” to serve as Trump’s attorney general.
While the department has historically prided itself on being independent from the president’s interests, it remains to be seen how much Gaetz’s potential vision for the DOJ will align with Trump’s agenda. Trump said in 2017, during the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, that he has the “absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department.”
“The most important job after president of the United States in the next administration, it’s not me,” Vice President-elect JD Vance said on the campaign trail. “It’s who we select as attorney general.”
The appointment was met with some ridicule. When asked about Trump’s pick, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina (R) reportedly said: “I’m sure it’ll make for a popcorn eating confirmation.” Gaetz would need to be confirmed by the Senate in order to fulfill the role.
Trump says Gaetz will “end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.”
Trump and Republicans have for years railed against what they believe were politically-motivated prosecutions when Trump was indicted in two federal cases last year. One of the cases, which dealt with the mishandling of classified documents, was dismissed.
Gaetz is no stranger to scandal. In June, ABC News reported that investigators with the House Ethics Committee interviewed multiple women as part of a sex trafficking investigation into Gaetz, stemming from allegations he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old.
Last year, the DOJ ended a similar investigation into Gaetz without charging him with any crimes.