WASHINGTON 鈥 Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 pick for attorney general following continued scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation's chief federal law enforcement officer.
The abrupt withdrawal is a setback to Trump鈥檚 push to install steadfast loyalists in his incoming administration, but also a recognition of the resistance the Republican is already encountering from members of his own party to picks with checkered backgrounds. By bowing out, Gaetz averts what was shaping up to be a pitched confirmation battle that would have tested how far Senate Republicans were willing to go to confirm Trump's Cabinet selections.
FILE鈥擱ep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., appears before the House Rules Committee at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
The Florida Republican's announcement came one day after meeting with senators in an effort to win their support for his confirmation to lead the Justice Department.
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鈥淲hile the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,鈥 Gaetz said in a statement announcing his decision. 鈥淭here is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I鈥檒l be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump鈥檚 DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.鈥
Trump, in a social media post, said: 鈥淚 greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. 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!鈥
Gaetz鈥檚 announcement came days after an attorney for two women said that his clients told House Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex on multiple occasions beginning in 2017, when Gaetz was a Florida congressman.
One of the women testified she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party in Florida in 2017, according to the attorney, Joel Leppard. Leppard has said that his client testified she didn鈥檛 think Gaetz knew the girl was underage, stopped their relationship when he found out and did not resume it until after she turned 18. The age of consent in Florida is 18.
Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, and said last year that the Justice Department鈥檚 investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him.
Gaetz鈥檚 political future is uncertain, at the moment.
He had abruptly resigned his congressional seat upon being selected to be as attorney general. That move was seen as a way to shut down the ethics investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
Republicans on the committee declined this week to release its findings, over objections from Democrats in a split vote. But the committee did agree to finish its work and is scheduled to meet again Dec. 5 to discuss the matter.
Gaetz did win reelection in November for the new Congress, which convenes Jan. 3, 2025. But it鈥檚 unclear whether he would take office. There are plans for a special election in Florida for his seat.
Here are the people Trump has picked for key positions so far
President-elect Donald Trump
Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff
Susie Wiles, 67,聽was a senior adviser聽to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager.
Marco Rubio, Secretary of State
罢谤耻尘辫听聽to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat.
Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
鈥淗e will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,鈥 Trump said of Rubio in a statement.
The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a 鈥渃on man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination.
Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations.
Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense
Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel鈥檚 鈥淔ox & Friends Weekend鈥 and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show.
Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises 鈥 ranging from Russia鈥檚 war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea.
Hegseth is also the author of 鈥淭he War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,鈥 published earlier this year.
Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security
Trump picked聽South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect鈥檚 hardline immigration agenda.
Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics.
South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state 鈥渙pen for business.鈥 Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic.
She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports.
Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior
The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race.
Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump鈥檚 vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs.
Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day.
In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation.
鈥淭here's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,鈥 Burgum said.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and聽. He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign.
The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about聽. For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism.
Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation
Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of 鈥淭he Bottom Line鈥 on Fox Business.
Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, 鈥淔ox and Friends Weekend鈥 co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children.
Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy
A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking 鈥 a key pillar of Trump鈥檚 quest to achieve U.S. 鈥渆nergy dominance鈥 in the global market.
Wright also has been one of the industry鈥檚 loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is 鈥渃ollapsing under its own weight.鈥 The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States.
Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump鈥檚 first term.
Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education
President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle.
McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump鈥檚 initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut.
She鈥檚 seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.
Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce
Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs.
Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump鈥檚 transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump鈥檚 Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration.
The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial.
Doug Collins, Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate.
Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command.
"We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary
Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history.
The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps.
Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022,聽聽winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas.
Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Tulsi Gabbard, National Intelligence Director
Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard聽聽to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields.
Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall.
鈥淚 know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,鈥 Trump said in a statement.
Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions.
John Ratcliffe, Central Intelligence Agency Director
Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next.
Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic.
鈥淚 look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,鈥 Trump said in a statement, calling him a 鈥渇earless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans鈥 who would ensure 鈥渢he Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.鈥
Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator
Trump has chosen former New York Rep.聽聽to serve as his pick to lead the聽.
Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on聽, 鈥淲e will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.鈥 鈥淲e will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,鈥 he added.
During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would 鈥淒rill, baby, drill,鈥 referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration.
In a statement, Trump said Zeldin 鈥渨ill ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.鈥
Brendan Carr, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission
Elise Stefanik, Ambassador to the United Nations
Rep. Elise Stefanik is a聽聽and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment.
Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership.
Stefanik鈥檚 questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile.
If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah.
Matt Whitaker, Ambassador to NATO
President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is 鈥渁 strong warrior and loyal Patriot鈥 who 鈥渨ill ensure the United States鈥 interests are advanced and defended鈥 and 鈥渟trengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.鈥 The choice of Whitaker as the nation鈥檚 representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy.
Pete Hoekstra, Ambassador to Canada
A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term.
鈥淚n my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,鈥 Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. 鈥淗e did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.鈥
Mike Huckabee, Ambassador to Israel
Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel.
Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah.
鈥淗e loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,鈥 Trump said in a statement. 鈥淢ike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.鈥
Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God鈥檚 chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland.
Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Steven Witkoff, Special Envoy to the Middle East
Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East.
The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination.
Witkoff 鈥渋s a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,鈥 Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. 鈥淪teve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud."
Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee.
Mike Waltz, National Security Adviser
Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday.
The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah.
鈥淢ike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,鈥 Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!鈥
Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs.
He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population.
Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy
Stephen Miller, an聽, was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration.
Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families.
Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security.
Tom Homan, 鈥楤order Czar鈥
Thomas Homan, 62,聽聽with Trump鈥檚 top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation鈥檚 history.
Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign.
Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country鈥檚 ever seen.鈥
Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's 鈥渮ero tolerance鈥 policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services administrator
Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted 鈥淭he Dr. Oz Show,鈥 a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office.
Additional selections to the incoming White House
Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff
Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of 鈥淭rump's longest serving and most trusted aides,鈥 was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president.
Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee鈥檚 investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
James Blair, deputy chief of staff
Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president.
Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's 鈥淭rump can fix it鈥 slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago.
Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff
Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president.
Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency.
William McGinley, White House counsel
McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign.
In a statement, Trump called McGinley 鈥渁 smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.鈥
