Senate Republicans were mixed in their reaction to the news that Matt Gaetz had dropped out of contention to become President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general.
Reactions ranged from relief to disappointment but a common theme was respect for Gaetz to see the writing on the wall and remove himself from what promised to be a contentious confirmation hearing.
“He must have gotten some signals yesterday during conversations he was having with senators that this was going to be a distraction,” Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., said, according to The Hill. “Good on him to recognize that and be self-aware.”
In his statement announcing that he was withdrawing his name from consideration, Gaetz said he was “unfairly becoming a distraction” to Trump’s 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 1," Gaetz said in a post to X.
“It’s his call, it’s his decision. In the end, he’s got to do what’s in the best interest of him and his family, but I respect the decision,” incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said, The Hill reported.
Although the House Ethics Committee on Wednesday voted against releasing its report on Gaetz, CNN reported Thursday that the panel was told in testimony that Gaetz had a second, previously unreported sexual encounter with a 17-year-old girl at a party in 2017. The second encounter also included an adult woman, CNN reported.
Gaetz has vehemently and repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
“I respect Matt's decision,” House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., told Newsmax on Thursday. “He's focusing on what's important. And that's making sure that he's not a distraction to the Trump-Vance agenda. President Trump is appointing a Cabinet faster than any president in history. And his nominees deserve, deserve to be confirmed. He deserves to have his team.”
A Senate GOP aide told The Hill that Gaetz’s decision to drop out brings “a massive sigh of relief.”
But Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said, “I’m disappointed. Matt’s smart. He would change the way the DOJ has done it.”
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., who had warned that not getting the report from the House ethics panel would delay the confirmation process for Gaetz, said Thursday that “these things always work out for the best. In this particular case, they made the right choice to withdraw the nomination,” he said.
In a statement, Trump said, “Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!”
And speculation has now turned to what that will be.
“Something tells me we haven’t heard the last of @mattgaetz,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla, said in a post to X. “Thank you for your service to our country.”