Matt Gaetz resigns from the position of Attorney General

A good week after his nomination, the controversial candidate for US Attorney General Matt Gaetz announced his resignation from the post. “We don’t have time for an unnecessary long argument in Washington,” Gaetz said on Thursday on the short message service X. That’s why he’s withdrawing and is no longer available for this office. There was “strong momentum”, but then it turned out that his nomination was “unfairly” distracting from the important work of taking over the government from the future US President Donald Trump.

This is what Gaetz wants it to look like. But in reality, there were also considerable doubts within his own ranks about his suitability as Minister of Justice – especially among his party colleagues in the Senate. However, the chamber must confirm all applicants for high-ranking government positions. Trump’s Republicans hold a slim majority of 53 of the 100 seats in the Chamber of Congress. A few dissidents in one’s own ranks would have been enough to torpedo the personnel.

Trump nominated the ultra-right hardliner Gaetz for the important post of attorney general on November 13th, which was immediately met with particular protest because Gaetz himself was in conflict with the law and the rules of Congress.

In an initial reaction to the 42-year-old’s withdrawal, Trump said he had “a bright future” ahead of him. The right-wing populist, who won the election on November 5th, has already announced almost all of the nominations for his future cabinet, some of which are highly controversial.

As a congressman, Gaetz represented right-wing positions and spread right-wing conspiracy stories. In March 2021, the Congressional Ethics Committee opened an investigation into the ardent Trump admirer. It involved suspicions of embezzlement of campaign funds, illegal drug use and offensive behavior.

According to CNN, Gaetz showed around nude photos of women he allegedly had sex with. Gaetz was also temporarily investigated on suspicion of sexual abuse of a minor. On the day of his nomination, the lawyer from Florida resigned from his mandate as a representative. Since then, there has been a dispute over whether the Ethics Committee report should be published or not.