Senate Republicans were breathing a deep sigh of relief Thursday afternoon after former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) announced he would withdraw his bid to serve as attorney general, acknowledging that allegations of sexual misconduct against him have become “a distraction.”
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the incoming chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, welcomed Gaetz’s decision to withdraw as “a positive development.”
Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) said Gaetz made the right decision, given the serious “headwinds” he faced on Capitol Hill.
“He must have gotten some signals yesterday during conversations he was having with senators that this was going to be a distraction,” she said. “Good on him to recognize that and be self-aware.”
Asked for his reaction to news of Gaetz dropping out, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) told a reporter for CNN: “I think it was a good thing.”
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said he wasn’t surprised by Gaetz’s decision.
“These things always work out for the best. In this particular case, they made the right choice to withdraw the nomination,” he said.
Rounds said he wouldn’t disagree with Gaetz’s observation that his nomination had become a distraction.
“I won’t argue with their reasoning, as long as the withdrawal has been completed,” he said.
Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (S.D.) said he respects Gaetz’s decision.
“It’s his call, it’s his decision. In the end, he’s got to do what’s in the best interest of him and his family, but I respect the decision,” he said.
Some Republican senators had suggested Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning that Gaetz should pull out from consideration, given that he didn’t have a viable path to securing 50 votes to win confirmation.
“The best thing to do is to convince the president that the votes aren’t there, regardless of his strong-arming, and Gaetz can decide it’s not his to fight for,” one Republican senator who requested anonymity told The Hill on Wednesday afternoon.
A Senate GOP aide said Gaetz’s decision to bow out from consideration brings “a massive sigh of relief.”
“This is probably the biggest thing Senate Republicans are going to be thankful for this Thanksgiving,” the source said.
Republican senators were bracing themselves for a nasty fight over Gaetz that they feared would create a media frenzy and spend down President-elect Trump’s political capital without achieving a successful result.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) warned the media spectacle would be even worse than what senators saw during the huge fight over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was accused of sexual assault, during his 2018 confirmation proceeding.
Cornyn warned Wednesday that Gaetz’s confirmation fight would be “like Kavanaugh on steroids.”
Not all GOP senators were happy about the announcement, however.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who served with Gaetz in Florida’s congressional delegation, said he was “disappointed” by the news.
“I’m disappointed. Matt’s smart. He would change the way the DOJ has done it,” he said, accusing the Justice Department of “lawfare” against Trump and his allies during the Biden administration.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said he wants Trump to nominate an attorney general who would be just as fervent as Gaetz about wanting to shake up the Justice Department.
“I hope that the president will pick somebody equally as tenacious and equally as committed to cleaning up the DOJ,” he said.
Ellen Mitchell contributed.
Updated at 3:45 p.m. EST
