Announced minutes ago. In his own words as reported by AP:
Gaetz shared the following statement on X withdrawing his candidacy for Attorney General:
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 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.
I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.
Same link, Trump transition team, and what Trump posted on his website:
Trump’s transition team says he’ll announce his new Attorney General pick when he makes his decision
“President Trump remains committed to choosing a leader for the Department of Justice who will strongly defend the Constitution and end the weaponization of our justice system,” said Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition team.
31 sec agoTrump says he appreciates Gaetz’s efforts to get the confirmation to become Attorney General
In a message on his Truth Social network, Trump also said he was looking forward to seeing what Gaetz will do next after withdrawing as his pick.
“He 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,” Trump posted. “Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!”
That last item, resigned from Congress, passed on the fight to be AG, I'm cutting him loose, bless him? Gaetz did not want the fight after meeting with JD and Senators on the Justice Committee, so they probably told him it would not fly.
And, Trump wishing him well? But hands off? Somebody has to get appointed to the Rubio seat in the Senate, once Rubio is confirmed as Sec. of State, and DeSantis would appoint, yes/no? Wiles and DeSantis go way back, with a spat.
We shall have to see what ensues.
__________UPDATE__________
So, what about the illustrated man, Hegseth?
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| Mr. “Deus Vult." Image source: https://www.downwithtyranny.com/post/there-s-a-case-to-be-made-that-pete-hegseth-is-even-worse-than-matt-gaetz-tulsi-gabbard-rfj-jr |
Trump got the votes to put him into the Presidency, and part of that job is nominating Cabinet and other appointees, where Advice and Consent of the Senate is a Constitutional requirement to assure comparability between branches of government. Trump has done that, one nominee so far not wanting to be a distraction from the Trump agenda, so January 20 is when Trump replaces Biden, and Trump/Wiles appear to be moving to land running.
The voters put the nominees into play, indirectly, but Trump wants his voting base happy, so he will introduce a new AG candidate. We await that decision.
Trump has spoken before the election of his day one, and the expectation is those who voted for him have hopes he does as he said.
Presumably, Trump relies upon Vance, his first selected official, for input.
Kevin Roberts at Heritage Foundation has not been nominated for any government appointment, so far, and is respected by Vance to the extent Vance wrote a Preface for a book Roberts authored. Roberts might be happy to remain at Heritage.
___________FURTHER UPDATE___________
Crabgrass has no answer on why Gaetz would withdraw from consideration in light of this Newsweek coverage. Either Gaetz was reading the signs wrong, or somebody put the kibosh on his nomination going forward. Or he simply reconsidered things, and thought the Trump agenda might do better in other hands.
Possibly he misunderstood the Trump agenda, but he spoke of good things, facing and defeating fentanyl and deweaponizing the DOJ. Things Trump speaks of as things he supports.
FURTHER: Some have published speculating the NY Post had an editorial critical of Gaetz and Gabbard, and that effort killed the Gaetz nomination, but if Rupert Murdoch saw them as problematic, it is a wonder Murdoch has any cause to not say the same about Hegseth. With all his baggage. White Christian Nationalism body badging and attitude.
Crabgrass is confused. How does Rupert Murdoch judge people?
FURTHER: Brietbart published that Hegseth's body art is Christian, not White Supremacist, and that it was erroneously characterized by confused leftists. This link. Not knowing what is truth about the strange run of body art, Crabgrass in fairness gives attention to both sides of the story. In doing so, Crabgrass views all that tattoo inking, aside from professional athletes where it is a fashion, as weird.
How many Cabinet Secretaries have we had dating back to Bill Clinton times with even a single tattoo? Readers can research it. Crabgrass knows of none.
FURTHER: The question is serious enough to quote Breitbart:
Others who know Hegseth are coming to his defense, including Army veteran and former Trump administration official Earl Matthews, who is black and served with Hegseth in the DC National Guard.
Matthews called accusations that Hegseth is a white supremacist “patently absurd” and said Hegseth’s orders should not have been revoked. He posted recently on X:
Major Pete Hegseth was an exemplary officer during his tenure with the D.C. National Guard. He performed his assigned duties flawlessly, without limelight or fanfare and he always treated others with dignity and respect. What happened to him was wrong and he has a right to be upset. If I were him, I would be upset. The notion that Hegseth might have been a white supremacist or extremist was patently absurd on its face. Why would a white supremacist voluntarily join the D.C. National Guard which was disproportionately black and then commanded by two black general officers (both appointed by President Trump)? Hegseth served honorably in Lafayette Square during the BLM riots, just as he did in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he was prepared to do the same during the Biden inauguration. He was an asset to our formation. I didn’t find out about this incident until after the fact and I believe the decision was made below the general officer level. It should not have happened.
Even unlikely voices are sticking up for Hegseth. The former press secretary for Jill Biden, Michael LaRosa, said those calling Hegseth a white supremacist are “turning the Democratic Party into a joke.”
“This shit has to stop. Opposing DEl initiatives does not make you a white supremacist,” he posted on X. “Voices like this on the left are turning the Democratic Party into a joke”:
Reuters reported Hegseth was never declared an extremist but that the Guard leadership “opted to err on the side of caution.”
While Hegseth writes in his book that he was prepared to do his duty at the inauguration despite his dislike of Biden, having his orders revoked led him to leave the Army.
“The feeling was mutual — I didn’t want this Army anymore either,” Hegseth wrote.
The current character assassination comes amid fears at the Pentagon that Hegseth will fire military leaders who pushed DEI.
The Trump transition team has already asked troop advocates and whistleblowers for names of senior military leaders who pushed DEI over other priorities during their commands.
Sources told Breitbart News that the Pentagon is “scrambling” and trying to wipe evidence of DEI off websites.
Already, there have been several reports appearing to try to save the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, whose term is not up until 2027, but as the top military adviser to the president, serves at the president’s prerogative and can be replaced at any time.
As Air Force chief of staff, Brown advocated for more racial and gender diversity in the Air Force and Space Force and recorded a video in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death expressing sympathy for those participating in the racially charged protests in the summer of 2020 leading up to the election that year.
A recent report by the Washington Post claimed Brown “has sought to push back on the notion that he supports lowering standards, instead, underscoring his backing for merit-based advancement and highlighting his own drive to excel across any demographic group.”
However, Breitbart News was told that Brown’s name has been submitted to the Trump transition team for consideration of elimination, and he is widely expected to be replaced.
In addition, even before being nominated as defense secretary, Hegseth called in a recent interview for Brown to be replaced. He said on the Shawn Ryan Show, “First of all, you’ve got to fire the chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Any general that was involved… in any of the DEI/woke shit has got to go”:
Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, told Breitbart News in a statement:
President Trump is nominating high-caliber and extremely qualified candidates to serve in his Administration. Mr. Hegseth has the necessary experience and qualifications to implement President Trump’s pro-America policies, and none of these left-wing media concocted falsehoods will work to stop that mission.
He added, “We look forward to his confirmation as United States Secretary of Defense so he can get started on Day One to Make America Safe and Great Again.”
Follow Breitbart News’s Kristina Wong on ”X”, Truth Social, or on Facebook.
The quote fits with what Crabgrass knows. Hegseth is an avid Christian. He has done local Anoka County, Minnesota, things to benefit veterans without touting his actions or seeking attention or credit. Nothing negative about his service is known. His record appears fine.
Based upon his almost regarding his service in Crusader terms, as reported, he seems extreme that way to lead DOD, and Crabgrass knows of no budget management experience beyond his PAC when in Minnesota and his heading an operation financed by the Koch brothers. That is minor in scale to the DOD budget, and Hegseth might find himself in over his head. As to supremacist notions, Hegseth has not displayed any rhetoric that way of which Crabgrass is aware. The belief is HEGSETH IS NOT A WHITE SUPREMACIST. That could be right, it could be wrong, but the tattoo story seems to over-presume things. The tattoos seem ugly to me, but if he wants them, it is his body to decorate if he chooses.
Enough. The main story is Gaetz has withdrawn his willingness to be AG nominee.