Matt Gaetz drops bid for Trump attorney general in face of Senate opposition

Former U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general on Thursday, saying his confirmation was becoming a distraction.

"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," Gaetz, a Republican, wrote in a post on X. "Trump's DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1."

The announcement came a day after the House Ethics Committee deadlocked on releasing a report into allegations of sexual misconduct and illegal drug use by Gaetz, and after he met with Republican senators whose support would be needed to become attorney general.