Hours after Matt Gaetz took his name out of consideration for Attorney General, President Trump announced his new pick for the position.
"I am proud to announce former Attorney General of the Great State of Florida, Pam Bondi, as our next Attorney General of the United States," Trump announced in a post on Truth Social. "Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, where she was very tough on Violent Criminals, and made the streets safe for Florida Families. Then, as Florida’s first female Attorney General, she worked to stop the trafficking of deadly drugs, and reduce the tragedy of Fentanyl Overdose Deaths, which have destroyed many families across our Country."
Trump added, "She did such an incredible job, that I asked her to serve on our Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during my first Term — We saved many lives!"
While Matt Gaetz won't be the next attorney general, Trump promised that Bondi will take the reins to end the politicization of the Department of Justice. “For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans—Not anymore,” he declared. "Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again."
Confident in her abilities, Trump added, “She will do a terrific job as Attorney General!”
Matt Gaetz took his name out of consideration for the post Thursday afternoon.
"I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday," Gaetz said in a statement. "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 Transition."
He added, "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 added that he remains "fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history."
Trump subsequently posted a statement to Truth Social.
"I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General," Trump wrote. "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!"
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Matt Gaetz’s nomination faced steep challenges, weighed down by persistent rumors of a sex scandal and widespread doubts about his experience and temperament. Even though many of the allegations were questionable—the Biden DOJ didn't even believe the allegations and refused to charge him—they tarnished his image and cast a long shadow over his political career. Skepticism ran high, even among GOP senators, who saw his confirmation as “an uphill slog.”
Gaetz’s reputation for courting controversy only added to the difficulty. Known for creating internal strife within the GOP, he made headlines for spearheading the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
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