Matt Gaetz drops bid for attorney general, the first setback for Trump’s presidency

Former GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz has withdrawn from consideration to be attorney general, the first major setback for incoming President Donald Trump and a sign that there are still lines that Senate Republicans won’t cross.

“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,” Mr. Gaetz posted on X Thursday afternoon.

Mr. Gaetz’s nomination to oversee the Justice Department had landed like a lead balloon in the Senate. Multiple Republican senators expressed shock and concern over the potential elevation of a man who until recently faced a Justice Department investigation into sexual misconduct allegations (he wasn’t charged). He bowed out from consideration just one day after taking initial meetings with a number of key GOP senators.

The episode indicates that there are enough GOP members who won’t let Mr. Trump put whomever he wants into positions of immense power.

Mr. Gaetz was a controversial figure for the position. His nomination came just days before the bipartisan House Ethics Committee had planned to release its report on his alleged sexual misconduct. In recent days, the lawyer to two women who testified before the committee said in interviews that Mr. Gaetz paid those women for sex – and that one of them had witnessed him having sex with another woman who was 17 years old at the time. 

Mr. Gaetz also has a long history of picking fights with other Republicans – he played a key role in toppling House Speaker Kevin McCarthy – which left him with some enemies within his own party.

Mr. Trump thanked Mr. Gaetz, his close ally and longtime defender, following the withdrawal.

“I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General,” the president-elect said in a statement. “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. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!”

It’s unclear whom Mr. Trump might select to replace Mr. Gaetz, but he’s made it clear that it’s a top priority for him to find a loyal ally to lead the Justice Department. The president-elect had already announced the nomination of three of his personal attorneys from his criminal defense cases to top DOJ positions, and could potentially elevate one of them to replace Mr. Gaetz.

There’s been speculation that Mr. Gaetz might have been a sacrificial lamb, who gave Republicans an opportunity to show independence on nominations and would draw fire away from other controversial picks. But Mr. Trump reportedly was serious about getting Mr. Gaetz into power. And if the point were to keep the attention off Mr. Trump’s other nominees, Mr. Gaetz didn’t help that effort by withdrawing from consideration just one week after being nominated, and long before confirmation hearings would take place.

Other Trump nominees might face tough scrutiny as well – and aren’t guaranteed confirmation in the GOP-controlled Senate. Pete Hegseth, Mr. Trump’s pick for secretary of Defense, faces an accusation of rape (police didn’t charge him in the case) as well as questions about whether he holds Christian nationalist and other controversial views. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to head the Department of Health & Human Services may face resistance because of his expressed skepticism of vaccines and other medical treatments. Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard will face tough questions about her views on Russia and Syria before her nomination to be Director of National Intelligence.

Senate Republicans are likely to confirm the vast majority of Mr. Trump’s choices, but this shows that at least some of them plan to take seriously their advise-and-consent role for nominations.