Gaetz ends attorney general bid amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations

Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn from the running as Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general. Sexual misconduct allegations against Gaetz fueled intense scrutiny, threatening his chances of being confirmed. Laura Barrón-López reports.
Amna Nawaz:
Welcome to the “News Hour.”
Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn from the running as Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general. Sexual misconduct allegations against Gaetz fueled intense scrutiny, threatening his chances to be confirmed. Today, in a statement on social media, Gaetz wrote — quote — “While the momentum was strong, it’s clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance transition.”
Yesterday, the House Ethics Committee deadlocked on a decision to release a report of a lengthy investigation into the allegations against Gaetz. He abruptly resigned from his role in Congress last week following Mr. Trump’s nomination.
Our Laura Barron-Lopez joins us now for more.
So, Laura, tell us, why do we know — what do we know about why Gaetz stepped aside?
Laura Barron-Lopez:
Sources that I talked to today close to the transition, said that Matt Gaetz simply did not have the votes.
And the more and more that came out, the details that came out about these sexual assault allegations, sexual abuse allegations, it made his pathway harder, Amna. And the timing of the announcement is notable, because Matt Gaetz announced this a day after meeting with senators on the Hill. He was joined by vice president-elect J.D. Vance.
And he can only lose — he could have only lost three votes in the Senate. And Gaetz never requested a meeting with some of the senators who were most likely to oppose him, like Senator Susan Collins of Maine. But, ultimately, it appeared as though he didn’t have the support at all.
And in a post on TRUTH Social, president-elect Trump thanked Gaetz for trying to get the Senate approval and said that Gaetz “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.”
Now, that distraction that the president-elect, as well as Gaetz, have talked about is sexual misconduct allegations that also the House Ethics Committee was investigating. And, as a reminder, Amna, two women testified to the House Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex on multiple occasions beginning in 2017, while he was a congressman.
And one of the women testified that she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party.
Amna Nawaz:
What kind of reaction is all this getting on Capitol Hill today?
Laura Barron-Lopez:
Republican Senator Josh Hawley, who sits on the Judiciary Committee, said that ultimately Donald Trump needed someone better suited to the role.
And Democrats like Senator Chris Coons, who is also on the Judiciary, said that the nomination all around was very troubling.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO):
Listen, I think I go back to the fact that this is the president’s Cabinet. He’s got to choose people who he has confidence in and who are going to be able to deliver, he believes, on his agenda.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE):
For someone to be nominated to be the chief law enforcement officer of the United States and facing persistent and disturbing charges involving sex trafficking and drug use really caused some real challenges for him.
Laura Barron-Lopez:
A number of Senate Republicans also said that there was a big sense of relief that Gaetz withdrew. And one GOP lawmaker texted me, Amna — quote — “Problem solved.”
Amna Nawaz:
You mentioned that House Ethics Committee report. What happens to that now?
Laura Barron-Lopez:
Leaders on the House Ethics Committee were quiet today about the future of that report. They had initially planned to meet on December 5 to decide whether to finish that report and to possibly release it. We don’t know exactly if they’re going to still hold that meeting.
Amna Nawaz:
And what about Matt Gaetz’s future? Can he get his seat back next year?
Laura Barron-Lopez:
Lawmakers that I spoke to today so that their understanding is that there is nothing really barring Matt Gaetz from coming back in January and taking the oath of office.
Technically, Gaetz resigned for the current Congress and many lawmakers are pointing to his carefully worded resignation letter, which said he does — quote — “not intend to take the oath.” So he could very well potentially come back.
Amna Nawaz:
So Gaetz is out of the running.
Who else is president-elect Trump likely to nominate to be his attorney general?
Laura Barron-Lopez:
Donald Trump’s transition team didn’t comment on who the president-elect is now considering, but sources close to the transition told me that he is still — he’s back to the drawing board, essentially.
But before nominating Gaetz, a number of Republican sources told me that names being considered included Matt Whitaker, who served as acting attorney general during Trump’s first administration. He has since been named to be the ambassador to NATO. Mike Davis, a Republican lawyer and former Senate aide, as well as Andrew Bailey, the Missouri attorney general.
Amna Nawaz:
I know you’re tracking the status of some of the other nominations around which people have questions. What’s the latest on that?
Laura Barron-Lopez:
Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, was on Capitol Hill today with J.D. Vance again trying to gain support. This comes right after last night a 22-page police report was released that detailed a woman saying she was sexually assaulted by Hegseth in 2017.
And Pete Hegseth was asked about these allegations on the Hill today.
Question:
Did you sexually assault a woman in Monterey, California?
Pete Hegseth, U.S. Defense Secretary Nominee:
I have — as far as the media is concerned, it’s very simple. The matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared. And that’s where I’m going to leave it.
Laura Barron-Lopez:
As you saw, Hegseth said there that the matter was investigated and that he was cleared.
But Hegseth paid that woman in 2023, Amna, as part of a confidential settlement.
Amna Nawaz:
Laura Barron-Lopez with the latest on the Trump transition.
Laura, thank you.
Laura Barron-Lopez:
Thank you.