Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) withdrew his consideration for President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee on Thursday, but the ex-congressman may still have multiple career paths ahead of him.
After Gaetz, 42, announced he was no longer a candidate for the Justice Department, Republicans began speculating whether he might attempt to reclaim his congressional seat, which he was re-elected to earlier this month, or pursue another role. Some suggested he could even lobby to take over Marco Rubio’s Senate seat when Rubio resigns to become Trump’s secretary of state.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) expressed support for the idea, telling Politico, “Matt would be a great person” to fill the Senate seat if Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis does not choose Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump.
Gaetz resigned from the 118th Congress shortly after Trump announced his nomination for AG on Nov. 13. In his resignation letter, Gaetz informed House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) that he “does not intend” to serve in the 119th Congress, which begins on Jan. 3, though he could still change his mind.
DeSantis has not yet called a special election to replace Gaetz or Rep. Mike Waltz, who was selected to be Trump’s national security adviser. If Gaetz chose to, he could run in a special election to fill his former seat in the remaining days of the 118th Congress and return to his position as the duly elected representative of Florida’s 1st District.
However, should Gaetz decide to return to the national legislature, he will need to contend with an ongoing ethics investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, drug use, and other accusations. Gaetz resigned just two days before the Ethics Committee was set to vote on releasing its report, which remains unfinished but could still be released after a scheduled meeting on Dec. 5.
Adding to the intrigue, Gaetz’s wife, Ginger, posted a photo on Instagram of the couple climbing the Capitol steps, captioning it: “The end of an era.”
Gaetz’s withdrawal followed an informal whip count that suggested he had “no path” to Senate confirmation, according to a source.
“I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many,” Gaetz wrote on X. “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,” he added.
Trump also commented on Gaetz’s decision to withdraw, without providing specifics about what Gaetz should do next.
“I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. 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 wrote on Truth Social.
“Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!”
Looking ahead, Gaetz has been viewed as a potential candidate for Florida governor in 2026, with one Senate GOP aide speculating that the drama surrounding his AG nomination was “all a play to become a martyr to boost [his] gubernatorial prospects.”
