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US Rep. Matt Gaetz waves as he takes the stage during a rally for Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump in Henderson, Nevada, US, on Oct. 31. (Reuters-Yonhap) |
Former Congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew as President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general Thursday amid a controversy over sexual misconduct allegations that clouded the prospects for his confirmation.
Gaetz announced the decision to withdraw from consideration for the top Justice Department post, dealing a setback to Trump's ongoing efforts to round out his Cabinet to push for his America First policy agenda.
"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 on X, formerly Twitter.
"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, referring to the Department of Justice.
Gaetz said he remains fully committed to see that 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 said.
The Florida Republican's withdrawal came days after Trump said he was not reconsidering tapping Gaetz for the attorney general post despite growing uncertainty over whether Gaetz could get Senate approval.
In a social media post, Trump expressed his appreciation to Gaetz for his recent efforts for Senate confirmation.
"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 wrote on Truth Social.
"Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!"
Gaetz's nomination has brought renewed attention to previous sex trafficking allegations against him. He has strongly denied the allegations as the related Justice Department probe ended with no federal charges filed against him last year.
Gaetz was also under a probe by the House Ethics Committee for allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use -- accusations he flatly rejected. As he resigned from the House after the nomination for the Cabinet post, the committee's jurisdiction for Gaetz's case halted.
Regarding Gaetz's withdrawal, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated that she will not comment on Trump's personnel choices but stressed President Joe Biden's commitment to the smooth transition of power.
"We really, truly want to respect the transfer of power. We want it to be efficient. We want it to happen in a way that the American people deserve," she told a press briefing.
She also pointed out that a Justice Department investigation should be "independent."
"There should be no partisanship," she said. "There should be no loyalty to one party or the other. The loyalty should be to the Constitution, and the loyalty should be to the rule of law." (Yonhap)
