Matt Gaetz withdraws from consideration as Trump's attorney general

Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his nomination to be Attorney General under President-elect Trump amid allegations of drug use and sexual misconduct. He cited the nomination becoming a distraction and expressed a desire for the Justice Department to be ready on Day 1. Trump praised Gaetz after the announcement, despite the ongoing controversy. Reports surfaced about a new allegation involving a sexual encounter with a 17-year-old, which coincided with Gaetz's decision to step aside. Gaetz had recently resigned from Congress, which some viewed as a strategy to avoid scrutiny from an Ethics Committee report. He won reelection in November, allowing for a potential return to the House in January.