Matt Gaetz withdraws attorney general nomination

Former Congressman Matt Gaetz announced Thursday he is withdrawing his nomination for attorney general, citing it as a distraction amid fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation. Gaetz posted on social media that he did not want to waste time 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."This decision follows his meetings with senators to try to secure support for his confirmation. Allegations of sexual misconduct have clouded his nomination, and despite support from President-elect Donald Trump, Gaetz faced an uphill battle in the Senate. In a statement, President-elect Donald Trump said Gaetz "was doing very well" and appreciated his "recent efforts in seeking approval to be attorney general."Gaetz added he remains fully committed to seeing that Trump is the most successful president in history.