Trump nominates Pam Bondi for US Attorney General after Matt Gaetz withdraws

Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was nominated to serve as Donald Trump’s Attorney-General on Nov. 21 (Nov. 22 SGT) after Matt Gaetz, 42, withdrew from consideration of the role amid controversy.

Gaetz is known as a staunch Trump advocate and the subject of a sex-trafficking investigation by the Department of Justice, which ended with no charges against him.

Trump nominated Gaetz for Attorney General on Nov. 14, calling Gaetz a "deeply gifted and tenacious attorney" and saying he would end the "weaponisation" of the Justice Department.

https://mothership.sg/2024/11/trump-nominates-gaetz-ag-doj

"My confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction"

Gaetz said on X that he had a meeting with senators on Nov. 20, where they decided his confirmation of the role would be a distraction to the transition of power to the incoming President Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

He wrote:

"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. 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 One," Gaetz said.

Saying he remains "fully committed" to seeing Trump become "the most successful President in history," Gaetz added he will forever be honoured that Trump nominated him to lead the Department of Justice.

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

A source told The Guardian that the deciding factor for Gaetz's withdrawal was the private confirmation of four senators opposing his confirmation.

If all democrats opposed the decision, four oppositions from Republican senators would be enough to sink Gaetz's nomination.

Pam Bondi as new Attorney General nomination

Trump has since announced Bondi as his new pick for the Attorney General role, 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," said Trump.

"For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponised against me and other Republicans - Not anymore. Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again," Trump added.

A loyal Trump supporter, Bondi was part of Trump's legal team during his first Senate impeachment trial and publicly supported him during his hush money trial in New York, the BBC reported.

Bondi's nomination process is expected to be less tumultuous compared to Gaetz's, with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham calling it a "grand slam, touchdown, hole in one, ace, hat trick, slam dunk, Olympic gold medal pick".

"She will be confirmed quickly because she deserves to be confirmed quickly," Graham claimed.

Gaetz has also since issued his own congratulations, calling Bondi a "stellar selection by President Trump".

.@PamBondi is a stellar selection by President Trump for Attorney General.

Pam and I worked closely together when she was Florida’s Attorney General and I chaired Criminal Justice in the state house.

She’s a proven litigator, an inspiring leader and a champion for all… https://t.co/K86sK7WkPf

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 22, 2024

Gaetz

Before the announcement, Gaetz wrote on X that if nominated, he was prepared to abolish agencies like the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives).

The 42-year-old has represented Florida's first congressional district in the House of Representatives since 2016, after deciding not to run for a state senate seat held by his father.

His time in the House coincided with the first Trump presidency, with Gaetz (as part of the House Judiciary Committee) criticising the Robert Mueller investigation into alleged collusion between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign.

After Trump was defeated by Joe Biden in 2020, Gaetz refused to accept the election result and voted to sustain the objections to the results of certain states, on the same day a violent crowd of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building.

The New York Times reported in 2021 that a DOJ investigation had been opened during the final months of the first Trump term, that looked into allegations that Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid for her to travel with him.

Gaetz denied the allegations and said he was the target of a smear campaign.

In 2023, the DOJ eventually decided not to bring charges against Gaetz, who maintained he was innocent of any wrongdoing.

Sexual misconduct allegations

The House Ethics Committee also opened an investigation into Gaetz over allegations including sexual misconduct as part of a broader public corruption inquiry.

As Gaetz resigned from Congress after getting picked for the Attorney-General post, the House Ethics Committee investigation effectively ceased as "the committee has no jurisdiction over a member of Congress once that member leaves".

Gaetz may have withdrawn from being considered as Trump's Attorney General, however, his prior resignation means he cannot reclaim his seat in the remaining weeks of this Congress, NBC reported.

Should Gaetz somehow manage to take his seat in the 119th Congress, the House Ethics Committee investigation can resume.

House Democrats are still pushing for the release of the Ethics Committee report on Gaetz nonetheless, with Representative Sean Casten saying the public still has the right to know what investigators found on the allegations against Gaetz, The Hill reported.

Other nominees for Trump's cabinet

Top image via Matt Gaetz/Facebook and Pam Bondi/Instagram