Gaetz Withdrawal Marks Trump’s Crushing Defeat

Well, that didn’t last long. Last Wednesday, President-Elect Donald Trump surprised even his allies by nominating Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general.

The reasons behind Gaetz’s withdrawal are neither secret nor surprising—allegations of sex trafficking, paying for sex, drug use, and involvement with an underage girl have shadowed him for years. I Photo: Gage Skidmore Flickr

Just recently, Gaetz has withdrawn from consideration, just one day after meeting with senators on Capitol Hill, David A. Graham reported for The Atlantic Daily.

“It is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz posted on X.

“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.”

Gaetz’s nomination fell apart unusually quickly. Eight days isn’t a record, but it’s close.

Just two days ago, Trump insisted he had no second thoughts about the pick. The reasons behind Gaetz’s withdrawal are neither secret nor surprising—allegations of sex trafficking, paying for sex, drug use, and involvement with an underage girl have shadowed him for years.

Critics argue that Trump didn’t conduct proper vetting before announcing Gaetz’s nomination. While Gaetz’s withdrawal doesn’t mean other nominees will be rejected, it shifts focus to another contentious pick: Pete Hegseth, nominated to lead the Pentagon.

A newly released police report detailing a sexual assault allegation against Hegseth from 2017 is drawing attention.

Speculation abounds that Gaetz may have been a sacrificial pick to distract from other controversies or a decoy to make subsequent choices more palatable.

Trump has already named former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as another nominee, but her past work representing foreign interests, including Tulsi Gabbard, has invited significant criticism.