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Former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdraws as Trump's attorney general pick

NPR | By Lexie Schapitl,

Deirdre Walsh, Elena Moore

Published November 21, 2024 at 12:41 PM EST

Former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, who President-elect Donald Trump had nominated to be attorney general, walks alongside Vice President-elect JD Vance as they arrive for meetings with senators at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 20, 2024 in Washington, DC.

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., is withdrawing his candidacy to be President-elect Trump's attorney general, after sex trafficking and drug use allegations imperiled his nomination.

After meeting with Republican senators to discuss his nomination, Gaetz wrote on social media Thursday that "it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition."

"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," he continued.

I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback - and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance…
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 21, 2024

This is a developing story and will be updated.