Matt Gaetz has pulled himself out of the running to be Donald Trump’s attorney general.
The shock announcement came after it became clear Gaetz faced an uphill battle to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate after years of seedy allegations against him.
Most recently, the scandal-scarred ex-lawmaker was the subject of a House Ethics probe that explored if he paid as much as $10,000 to have sex with women and a 17-year-old girl while in his mid-30s.
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Gaetz’s announcement came just as a CNN report revealed his teenage accuser had testified to the ethics committee about a previously-unknown, second sexual encounter she alleged to have with Gaetz and another woman.
After CNN asked for comment on the alleged threesome, Gaetz posted to X that he was pulling out as the attorney general nominee. The 42-year-old has denied any wrongdoing.
The Republican firebrand’s decision is the first clear setback for Trump since his win on Election Day. Even with a Republican majority in the Senate, reports suggested that Gaetz would struggle to gain enough votes to be confirmed.
Gaetz, Trump, and the president-elect’s proxies had been working behind the scenes to lock down support on Capitol Hill for Gaetz’s cabinet bid, but those efforts appear to have fallen short.
“He was going to be the worst confirmation by far, and I don’t think the votes were there,” a source in Trump’s orbit told The Washington Post.
Among those pleased with the development was Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. He responded concisely when asked about Gaetz’s drop-out decision: “I think that was appropriate.”
Gaetz said he dropped his AG bid because his controversies had “unfairly” become a distraction for Trump’s transition team. He said he hoped his withdrawal would stop a “needlessly protracted Washington scuffle” from taking place.
“Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1,” he said in a statement.
Gaetz informed Trump that he was backing out of the process Thursday morning, sources told ABC News. Trump released a statement by the early afternoon to thank Gaetz for his efforts and add that he still “has a wonderful future.”
“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,” Trump said.
Gaetz appears to still have the support of his wife of three years, Ginger Gaetz, who posted a photo with him on Thursday afternoon with the caption, “The end of an era.”
What’s next for Gaetz remains unclear. The ex-representative from Florida’s panhandle resigned from Congress within hours of Trump announcing him as his bombshell AG pick last week.
In his statement, Gaetz said he remains “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,” he added.
