Quotes
I respect former Representative Matt Gaetz’s decision to withdraw his name from consideration and appreciate his willingness to serve at the highest level of our government.
Within the hour his office had released a new statement saying
Yes, he was the ultimate troll and people have the opportunity they can freak out over a thing and respond and if you want to do that ... you better to pace yourself though because it's not even Thanksgiving,
he addedI think what Matt decided to do here was the decision he had to come to, and it was probably a positive decision for the administration,
he added
I think because of the reports that were coming out, it was probably a good decision,
Mullin said, describing the confirmation process for Gaetz as an “uphill battle.”
I have some thoughts” on who Trump should nominate next for attorney general
Kennedy saidHe was in the pressure cooker
Gaetz gives Republican senators a sigh of reliefI was not going to make a final decision until after the hearing because you never know what's going to come out,
she said
The matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared,
Hegseth told reporters Thursday at the Capitol, where he was meeting with senators to build support for his nomination
I think he is going to be a very strong secretary of defense,
said the Iowa senatorSadly, I think there's evidence that a lot of voters don't care. Otherwise, Trump wouldn't have won the election,
said Democratic strategist Brad BannonI have heard without exaggeration a dozen times or so in the last week questioning the veracity of many of these charges, both leveled against Matt Gaetz and others and wondering if this is just a quote, Deep State end quote, trying to thwart President Trump's presidency from the beginning,
said national Republican strategist Brian Seitchik
It would be a major blow to Trump if Gaetz doesn't get confirmed."
A GOP strategist who requested anonymity to speak freely said, before Gaetz's withdrawal was announced
They haven't been convicted of any of these things,
McDaniel told CNN's Dana Bash after Gaetz's withdrawal was announcedAfter being asked for comment for this story, ... Gaetz announced he was backing out as President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee.”
the CNN report said
So, by my calculation, Gaetz lasted 0.727 Scaramucci units aka 'mooches.' Although arguably -0.727 since he didn't actually make it into the job,
Josh Gerstein, senior legal affair reporter at Politico posted
Well that didn't even last a full Scaramucci,
the official Florida Democrats account quipped on X, reposting Gaetz's Thursday announcementTrump and Elon are doing some good things with @DOGE and making some interesting appointments,
he wroteWe're glad to see that Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name for consideration for Attorney General, and we urge the Trump/Vance Administration to nominate someone for this role who has impeccable character and who is committed to fully enforce obscenity and sex trafficking laws. There is no shortage of qualified leaders with track records of integrity who can serve as Attorney General."
Dawn Hawkins, the CEO of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, told NewsweekMy clients are relieved to have this chapter behind them and eager to move forward with their lives,
Leppard saidFrom the start, Matt Gaetz was a profoundly unfit choice for attorney general. He was right to withdraw his name for consideration. It is clear Gaetz felt pressure to step down in the face of such damning and credible reports of his involvement in the sexual abuse and trafficking of a 17-year-old,
Martin told Newsweek