Attorney General Nominee Matt Gaetz Withdraws From Consideration
Matt Gaetz, the Florida congressman nominated by President-elect Donald Trump for attorney general, withdrew from consideration on November 21. In a post on X that day, Gaetz said he had excellent meetings with senators the day before and appreciated their thoughtful feedback and the support of so many. "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," he wrote.
"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," Gaetz added. Trump responded on Truth Social, saying he greatly appreciated Gaetz's recent efforts to seek approval, that Gaetz was doing very well but did not want to be a distraction for the administration, and that Gaetz has a wonderful future ahead of him.
Gaetz resigned his House seat on November 13, the day Trump announced his nomination. The House Ethics Committee was then investigating allegations of misconduct against him that had clouded his confirmation prospects; Gaetz has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
That evening, Trump announced former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi as his new nominee for attorney general. In his statement, Trump said Bondi had been a prosecutor for nearly 20 years and was very tough on violent criminals, and that she would refocus the Justice Department on its intended purpose of fighting crime and making America safe again.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Matt Gaetz 的美国众议院官方肖像，Ike Hayman 摄（2020年）。公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Official U.S. House portrait of Matt Gaetz, by Ike Hayman, 2020. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
