President Donald Trump’s first pick to serve as attorney general came under vicious attack from his rivals on the left, ultimately resulting in his decision to bow out of the process before the Senate ever had a chance to vote on his confirmation.
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
Gaetz, who resigned from Congress shortly after he was nominated to head the Department of Justice, is now considering his next career move.
Whats next? pic.twitter.com/KyH966rUFD
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 24, 2024
In the meantime, he is cashing in on his notoriety, as The Hill reported:
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) joined Cameo just a day after withdrawing from consideration for attorney general and announcing that he will not return to Congress for its next session.
Gaetz’s newly created Cameo account comes as the former congressman has been making headlines recently due to an investigation by the House Ethics Committee related to allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, among other claims.
After Trump’s nod toward Gaetz to serve as attorney general, Gaetz resigned from Congress, effectively killing the probe and keeping him out of the jurisdiction of the House Ethics Committee, which has been wrestling with whether to release the report.
ADVERTISEMENTGaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Even if he isn’t serving in Congress or the Trump administration, it’s clear that Gaetz is still an active cheerleader for the MAGA movement.
I kinda miss the campaign already pic.twitter.com/D68G8ZhnHF
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 24, 2024
The Great Dennis Quaid is FULL MAGA pic.twitter.com/QBpX9wSQmO
— Former Congressman Matt Gaetz (@FmrRepMattGaetz) November 24, 2024
For his part, Trump has already selected another nominee to serve as attorney general, per Fox News:
Just hours after former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration to be attorney general, President-elect Trump tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his AG nominee.
“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore,” Trump wrote in his announcement. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.
“I have known Pam for many years – She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!”
Here’s some additional coverage of Bondi’s nomination:
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