Elections
Matt Gaetz Withdraws as Trump’s Pick for Attorney General Amid Controversy
Matt Gaetz, the former Florida representative and nominee for Attorney General under President-elect Donald Trump, announced Thursday that he is withdrawing from consideration for the role. Gaetz cited the “distraction” caused by lingering allegations related to alleged misconduct as the primary reason for stepping aside.
“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz said in a statement. “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.”
The announcement follows months of scrutiny over allegations that Gaetz was involved in sexual misconduct, including accusations of paying underage women for sex. Although the Justice Department (DOJ) concluded its investigation earlier this year without filing charges, the House Ethics Committee had continued its own probe until Gaetz’s resignation from Congress last week.
The committee reportedly deadlocked this week on whether to release its findings, leaving the matter unresolved. Gaetz has consistently denied all allegations, calling them baseless.
“We have just spoken with the DOJ and have been informed that they have concluded their investigation into Congressman Gaetz and allegations related to sex trafficking and obstruction of justice, and they have determined not to bring any charges against him,” Gaetz’s attorneys said in a February statement.
President-elect Trump, who nominated Gaetz just over a week ago, expressed gratitude for his ally’s efforts. “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “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.”
Trump had praised Gaetz as a staunch ally during his time in Congress and cited his focus on reforming the DOJ as a key reason for the nomination.
Gaetz’s withdrawal leaves the Attorney General position vacant, with Trump now considering other candidates from a broad list that includes former DOJ officials, current members of Congress, and outside legal experts.
Fox News listed prominent names on the short list, which include:
– Mark Paoletta, former White House attorney and counsel to then-Vice President Mike Pence.
– Andrew Bailey, Missouri Attorney General, known for his lawsuits against the Biden administration and conservative legal advocacy.
Gaetz faced an uncertain path to Senate confirmation anyways, even in a Republican-controlled chamber; it was unclear whether he would have secured the votes needed to serve in the key Cabinet role.
In November, president-elect Donald Trump announced on social media that he would impose a 25% tariff on all products from Canada and Mexico if they do not take an active role in containing illegal immigration as well as the level of illicit drugs entering into the United States.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Trump at his residence in Mar-a-Lago, after which the Canadian government vowed to secure the border. “We got, I think, a mutual understanding of what they’re concerned about in terms of border security,” Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc, who accompanied Trudeau at Mar-a-Largo, said of the meeting in an interview with Canadian media. “All of their concerns are shared by Canadians and by the government of Canada.”
“We talked about the security posture currently at the border that we believe to be effective, and we also discussed additional measures and visible measures that we’re going to put in place over the coming weeks,” LeBlanc continued. “And we also established, Rosemary, a personal series of rapport that I think will continue to allow us to make that case.”
The Daily Caller News Foundation reports the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is preparing to beef up its immigration enforcement capabilities by hiring more staff, adding more vehicles and creating more processing facilities, in the chance that there is an immigration surge sparked by Trump’s presidential election victory. The moves are a change in direction from Trudeau’s public declaration in January 2017 that Canada was a “welcoming” country and that “diversity is our strength” just days after Trump was sworn into office the first time.
The Daily Caller notes the differences in response from the Canadian government verses Mexico’s:
Trudeau’s recent overtures largely differ from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has indicated she is not willing to bend the knee to Trump’s tariff threats. The Mexican leader in November said “there will be a response in kind” to any tariff levied on Mexican goods going into the U.S., and she appeared to deny the president-elect’s claims that she agreed to do more to beef up border security in a recent phone call.
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profx
November 26, 2024 at 10:44 am
It would be interesting if Gaetz gets an influential position later. If the Leftists are afraid of him then he must be good.