Matt Gaetz made a quick u-turn this week pulling his name from Trumpʼs attorney-general shortlist (a move that shocked many DC insiders). The ex-House member who quit his seat just last week faced strong push-back from Senate Republicans
Last year Gaetz led a revolt that kicked out House Speaker McCarthy; making him quite un-popular with fellow party members. The situation got more complex when questions about an Ethics Committee probe came up: some Senators dont want to vote without seeing its findings
The former representative dealt with several investigations — a Justice Department probe lasted almost 3 years before ending with no charges. Recently two Florida women gave testimony to House investigators claiming they got money for intimate relations with Gaetz‚ and one said she saw him with an under-age person back in 17
There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle
Trump showed support for his pick on Truth Social platform: “He did very well but at same time did not want to be a distraction“. The ex-president needs to find another nominee before his term starts on 01/20/25 — this marks the first cabinet pick to step down
Some Senate members seemed ok with this outcome. “This gives chance to pick someone with fewer head-winds“ said Senator Cynthia Lummis. Florida Senator Rick Scott hopes next pick will focus on fixing what he sees as partisan issues at DOJ