Matt Gaetz, the former congressman nominated as Attorney General for Trump’s second administration, has stepped down. His resignation raises questions about whether President-elect Trump will alter his controversial approach to appointments, which has been known for nominating controversial figures for key positions and pushing them through despite opposition. The focus now shifts to other nominees facing moral and qualification controversies, such as Pete Hegseth, the Defense Secretary nominee who has been embroiled in past sexual assault allegations.
On Thursday, Gaetz announced his resignation on X, stating, “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.”
During his time in Congress, Gaetz faced an ethics investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of sex trafficking and drug use. He resigned from Congress immediately after his nomination for Attorney General on November 13, attempting to prevent the release of the Ethics Committee’s findings.
However, the controversy intensified when reports emerged that Gaetz had transferred over $10,000 to two women on multiple occasions, allegedly in exchange for sexual relations. This led to a clash between Republicans and Democrats over whether to release the House Ethics Committee’s investigation report.
Gaetz has previously faced allegations of soliciting minors and drug abuse. Consequently, both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party speculated that securing Senate confirmation would be challenging.
Despite these controversies, Gaetz, accompanied by Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, visited Congress just a day before his resignation, appealing for support from Republican senators with the authority to confirm the Attorney General.
When reporters asked him the day before whether he was reconsidering Gaetz’s nomination, Trump responded with a firm “No,” signaling his intention to proceed with the Attorney General selection.
CNN reported that many Republican senators strongly opposed Gaetz’s confirmation, predicting it would be impossible if the Ethics Committee report were released. The Washington Post also noted that many believed Gaetz had failed to secure enough support.
Following Gaetz’s resignation, Trump stated on his social media platform Truth Social, “He was doing very well, but at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the administration, for which he has much respect.”
Meanwhile, CNN reported that Trump has not yet decided on a new nominee for Attorney General.
