Allegations of sexual misconduct Gaetz withdraws candidacy as Trump's Attorney General
He was probably Trump's most controversial preferred candidate: Matt Gaetz was supposed to become Attorney General. But after serious accusations, he pulled the ripcord - to make Trump's start easier.
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- Former Republican congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his candidacy for the office of Attorney General under Trump.
- Gaetz said he made the decision after a meeting with US senators on Wednesday.
- A fierce debate about Gaetz had flared up in recent days. The former congressman from Florida is accused of sex with a minor and drug use, among other things.
US President-elect Donald Trump must look for a new candidate for the office of Attorney General. Former Republican MP Matt Gaetz is withdrawing his candidacy for Attorney General, as he announced in a post on X on Thursday.
He stated that he had made this decision after a meeting with US senators on Wednesday. The Senate must approve Trump's new ministers.
"While the development was promising, it is clear that my confirmation unfairly distracts from the important work of the Trump/Vance transition administration," Gaetz wrote, adding:
"We must not waste time with an unnecessarily protracted fight in Washington, so I am withdrawing my name from the list of nominees for Attorney General. Trump's Justice Department must be ready to go on day one."
Doubts about Gaetz's suitability for the office
A fierce debate about Gaetz has flared up in recent days. The former congressman from Florida is accused of sex with a minor and drug use, among other things. The 42-year-old denies both. For several years, the US Department of Justice also investigated him in the case for "sex trafficking", i.e. human trafficking for the purpose of sexual abuse, but ended its investigation without charges.
The Ethics Committee of the US House of Representatives continued to investigate the allegations and produced a final report, but Gaetz resigned from his position after Trump's nomination. On Wednesday, the committee decided not to publish the report on the allegations against the former MP for the time being. There had been no agreement to make the report public, said committee chairman Michael Guest.
Gaetz was nominated by Trump last week to head the Department of Justice in the future. The Democrats were in favor of publishing the investigation report, while the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, was against it: he argued that this would set a precedent, as Gaetz was no longer a member of parliament.
Hardliner Gaetz has long been controversial
Gaetz has been one of the ultra-radicals within his Republican faction for years and is a loyal supporter of Trump. He represents right-wing positions and regularly spreads conspiracy narratives. He is opposed to abortion, rejects same-sex marriage and opposes aid for Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia. After Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, Gaetz blamed "Antifa" (anti-fascist groups) for the violence without providing any evidence.
Among some party colleagues in the Senate - the chamber that has to confirm candidates for senior government posts - there were considerable doubts about his suitability for the position of Attorney General. Trump's Republicans hold a narrow majority of 53 of the 100 seats in the chamber of Congress. A few dissenters in his own ranks could therefore have been enough to torpedo the appointment.