Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, said Thursday he is withdrawing his name for the role — just a day after Gaetz spoke with Republican senators on Capitol Hill about the nomination process.
Trump has named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, as his new pick for the role.
Another controversial Cabinet pick, Pete Hegseth, is on the Hill on Thursday with Vice President-elect JD Vance to make his case for the secretary of the Department of Defense job.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to announce his picks for top jobs inside his administration.
Latest Developments
Nov 21, 6:56 PM
Trump nominates Pam Bondi as new AG pick
Trump has nominated Pam Bondi as his new pick for attorney general, after Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration earlier Thursday.
Bondi is the former attorney general of Florida, serving from 2011 to 2019 and marking the first woman in that role.
“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore. Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again,” Trump said in a statement.
The position requires Senate confirmation.
Bondi has remained in Trump’s inner circle for years and has continued to advise him on legal matters. She was also one of the lawyers who defended Trump during his first Senate impeachment trial.
PHOTO: Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a rally held by Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump at the Greensboro Complex in Greensboro, North Carolina, Nov. 2, 2024. (Sam Wolfe/Reuters)
-ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa and Katherine Faulders
Nov 21, 6:15 PM
Ethics Committee chair says Gaetz’s withdrawal ‘should end the discussion’
House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest of Mississippi told reporters that Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal from attorney general consideration “settles any involvement that the Ethics Committee should have in any matters involving Mr. Gaetz.”
He added that the withdrawal “should end the discussion of whether or not the Ethics Committee should continue to move forward in this matter.”
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Nov 21, 6:07 PM
McConnell’s new Senate roles could put him at odds with Trump
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who earlier said he would not be the party’s Senate leader in the new Congress, announced Thursday he will be chairman of the Senate Rules Committee and the Defense Appropriations subcommittee when Republicans take control of the Senate in January.
Both positions are significant, given McConnell’s strained relationship with Trump.
The appointment to the Rules committee, which maintains the operating procedures of the Senate, is particularly interesting at a time when Trump has suggested he’s interested in pushing the boundaries of the Senate’s normal operating procedure.
PHOTO: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, Nov. 6, 2024, in Washington. (Allison Robbert/AFP via Getty Images)
In his statement, McConnell said, “Defending the Senate as an institution and protecting the right to political speech in our elections remain among my longest-standing priorities.”
McConnell could be instrumental in defense of the Senate filibuster or, potentially, recess appointments, which Trump has said he might use to circumvent Senate approval of some of his Cabinet picks, though party leadership still has the final say in these matters.
The appointment to lead the defense appropriations subcommittee is also significant for McConnell, who has said he sees advocating on behalf of U.S. self-defense and the defense of U.S. allies as a critical part of his role post-leadership. He could use the post to advocate for additional funding for Ukraine.
“America’s national security interests face the gravest array of threats since the Second World War. At this critical moment, a new Senate Republican majority has a responsibility to secure the future of U.S. leadership and primacy. I intend to play an active role in this urgent mission as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, and I look forward to working closely with incoming Chair Susan Collins to accomplish our shared goal,” McConnell said in his statement.
-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin
Nov 21, 5:12 PM
Speaker Johnson says Gaetz has ‘bright future ahead of him’
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Matt Gaetz “has a bright future ahead of him” after the former congressman withdrew his name from attorney general consideration.
“I’ve worked closely with Matt for eight years. He is an America First fighter — dedicated to ending the weaponization of the Department of Justice which, after the abuses of the Biden-Harris Administration, needs serious reform,” Johnson said on X.
Nov 21, 4:28 PM
Vance says Gaetz withdrew ‘out of respect’ for Trump’s administration
Vice President-elect JD Vance responded to Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal from consideration to be attorney general, saying on X he is “extremely grateful for the work Matt put into the nomination process.”
PHOTO: Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, the President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be Attorney General walks alongside Vice President-elect JD Vance as they arrive for meetings with Senators at the U.S. Capitol, Nov. 20, 2024, in Washington. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“He made his decision to withdraw entirely out of respect for President Trump’s administration. Matt is a patriot and I look forward to seeing what he does next,” Vance, who joined Gaetz while he met with Republican senators on Capitol Hill Wednesday, added.
Nov 21, 4:21 PM
Gaetz’s Senate skeptics praise his decision to withdraw from AG consideration
Some of the Republican senators thought to be opposed to the selection of Matt Gaetz for attorney general because of obstacles to his confirmation openly praised his decision to step aside.
“I think that was an excellent move on behalf of the incoming President,” Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said — though it’s not clear if Trump directed Gaetz to withdraw.
“I think it was a sound decision. I think it was important,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who had been among those publicly projecting serious concern about Gaetz’s nomination.
Asked if she was relieved, Murkowski said, “I am. I think it was the right decision.”
PHOTO: Rep. Matt Gaetz speaks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Mar. 12, 2024. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images, FILES)
Sen. Mike Rounds, who had also expressed some concerns about Gaetz, said the move to withdraw was the “right decision to make.”
“There was perhaps some information out there that the president was not aware of when he made the original recommendation. Part of this process is, the information comes out, and then at that point, as people re-evaluate or evaluate, you know, the president or the individual candidate may decide it’s not the right time to pursue the nomination,” Rounds said. “It may very well have been because of advice from the Senate rather than consent from the Senate.”
Not all senators were as open on their views.
“That’s obviously a decision he came to, and I think everybody had to make a decision that’s good for them and their family. And for whatever reason he decided not to pursue it,” Sen. John Thune, the incoming Republican leader, said.
When pressed on whether he felt it was the right choice, he said, “We respect his decision.”
Many Republican senators said they were taken by surprise.
“I learned about it the same way everyone else did, by reading the announcement,” Sen. Ted Cruz, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee and met with Gaetz on Wednesday, said.
-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin
Nov 21, 3:21 PM
Casten suggests he’s not withdrawing resolution to force release of Gaetz report
Illinois Democratic Rep. Sean Casten suggested that he plans to still move forward with forcing the House to vote on compelling the Ethics Committee to release its report on Matt Gaetz.
“While I welcome the news that Matt Gaetz is withdrawing from consideration for Attorney General, it remains important that the Gaetz report be made available to the American people,” he said in a statement Thursday.
Casten introduced a privileged resolution on Wednesday night to force the House to vote to release the report. Speaker Mike Johnson said earlier Thursday the House will take a vote on the resolution after Thanksgiving.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Nov 21, 3:48 PM
Pete Buttigieg says he had ‘good conversation’ with Sean Duffy
Outgoing Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he reached out to Trump’s pick for his successor, businessman and Fox News contributor Sean Duffy, and had a good conversation.
“I reached out to Mr. Duffy yesterday to congratulate him on getting what I believe is the best job in the federal government. Let him know that, upon confirmation, he’ll be working with some of the — in my biased opinion — the best men and women in the in public service, and that there is a great tradition of former secretaries from either party rooting for the success of the department long after they leave, and I hope to be part of that tradition,” Buttigieg said during a summit of progressive local and state officials in Washington, D.C.
PHOTO: Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg speaks to questions during a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Nov. 21, 2024, in Arlington, Virginia. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
He told MSNBC that he’s not sure what his next step is, but regardless is looking forward to spending more time with his children and whatever he decides will have “a little distance” between himself and D.C.
“I know I will make myself useful, later, I just don’t know how,” he said.
-ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd
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