WASHINGTON: President-elect Donald Trump has selected Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his nominee for Attorney General, hours after his initial pick Matt Gaetz withdrew his name amid controversy over alleged sexual misconduct.
Former Congressman Gaetz on Thursday announced his decision to withdraw from the nomination process for the post.
“I am proud to announce former Attorney General of the Great State of Florida, Pam Bondi, as our next Attorney General of the United States,” Trump said in a statement on Thursday.
He noted that Bondi served as a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, during which she was “very tough on violent criminals, and made the streets safe for Florida families”.
“Then, as Florida’s first female Attorney General, she worked to stop the trafficking of deadly drugs and reduce the tragedy of Fentanyl overdose deaths, which have destroyed many families across our country,” he said.
Trump praised Bondi for doing an “incredible” job.
He alleged that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had been weaponised against him and other Republicans. “Not anymore,” said the President-elect.
“Pam will refocus the DOJ on its intended purpose of fighting crime and Making America Safe Again. I have known Pam for many years — She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!” Trump said.
Earlier in the day, Gaetz withdrew himself from the nomination after facing backlash from both the opposition and his own Republican Party Senators. He made the surprising announcement a day after he met with Senators on Capitol Hill.
“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,” he said.
“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,” Gaetz wrote in a post on social media.
Gaetz said he remains fully committed to seeing that Trump is the most successful President in history. “I will forever be honoured that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America,” he said.
Trump accepted Gaetz’s decision to withdraw.
“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,” he said.
“Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” Trump added.