Former Representative Matt Gaetz withdrew his nomination Thursday to become attorney general in the second Trump term.
He said the move followed many “excellent meetings” with senators, who would have to vote to confirm his nomination.
“I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many,” Gaetz said in a post on X. “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,” he added.
“Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1,” Gaetz wrote. “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.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.