 "Matt Gaetz speaks at a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump in Henderson, Nevada, US, October 31, 2024. File Image/Reuters")
Matt Gaetz withdrew on Thursday as Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general amid ongoing scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation.
Despite the withdrawal, President-elect Trump said his scandal-plagued pick for the position had a “wonderful future” ahead.
The Florida Republican’s decision to withdraw came a day after he met with senators in an attempt to gain their backing for his confirmation to head the Justice Department.
“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,” The Associated Press quoted Gaetz as saying in a statement announcing his decision.
“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,” he added.
According to a CNN report, the woman who said she had sex when she was 17 years old with then-Representative Gaetz told the House Ethics Committee that she had two sexual encounters with him at one party in 2017.
The CNN report cites unnamed sources, who claim that the second sexual encounter, not previously been reported, included another adult woman.
The news outlet also states that after being asked for comment regarding the new allegations, the former representative announced that he was withdrawing from the attorney general nomination.
Gaetz has repeatedly denied the allegations against him.
The other woman in the alleged second sexual encounter, who was an adult at the time, has also denied taking part in the encounter, according to multiple sources familiar with her ethics testimony, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, Trump said that his scandal-plagued pick for attorney general had a “wonderful future” despite his withdrawal on Thursday.
Writing on his Truth Social social network, Trump praised Gaetz for stepping aside to avoid being a “distraction” for his new administration, adding: “Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!”
Gaetz’s withdrawal is a blow to Trump’s push to install steadfast loyalists in his incoming administration and the first sign that Trump could face resistance from members of his own party.
With inputs from agencies