Former Congressman Gates "Resigns Citing Obstruction by Trump Administration"
NYT "Trump's First Political Setback After Election"
Additional Possible Withdrawals Including Defense Secretary Nominee
Matt Gaetz, a former U.S. House Representative nominated by President-elect Donald Trump as the Attorney General for the second administration set to begin in January next year, has ultimately resigned amid controversy over allegations of soliciting sex from minors. This marks the first resignation following Trump’s election victory. Attention is focused on whether this will lead to further resignations among Trump’s second-term cabinet nominees currently embroiled in controversies. The prominent U.S. daily, The New York Times (NYT), described this resignation as the first political setback Trump has faced since his election win.
On the 21st (local time), Gaetz announced his voluntary resignation in a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating, "It is clear that my confirmation is unfairly obstructing a key task of the Trump-Vance administration transition."
He added, "There is no time to waste unnecessarily prolonging the fights in Washington (politics)," and said, "Therefore, I will withdraw my name from consideration for Attorney General." He further emphasized, "The Attorney General under President-elect Trump must be in place and ready from day one of the administration," and expressed, "I will forever consider it an honor that President-elect Trump nominated me as Attorney General, and I am confident he will save America."
Gaetz had faced suspicions of soliciting sex from minors and drug abuse in the past, leading to speculation that Senate confirmation would be difficult. During his time as a congressman, he was investigated by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of soliciting sex and drug use. However, shortly after being nominated as Attorney General for Trump’s second term on the 13th, he resigned from his congressional seat. Critics argued this was a tactic to prevent the release of the House Ethics Committee’s investigation results. The controversy surrounding him did not subside afterward. Reports emerged that Gaetz had transferred over $10,000 (approximately 14 million KRW) multiple times to two women in exchange for sexual favors, further intensifying the controversy.
As a result, both the Democratic Party and members of the Republican Party expressed doubts about Gaetz’s chances of Senate confirmation as Attorney General. Until the day before, he had visited Congress with Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, a federal senator, appealing for support from Senate Republican members who hold the authority to confirm the Attorney General. President-elect Trump had also expressed his determination to push forward with Gaetz’s appointment as Attorney General.
After Gaetz announced his voluntary resignation, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social, stating, "He was doing very well, but he did not want to be a hindrance to the administration he respects greatly," and added, "Matt’s future is bright, and I look forward to everyone seeing the great things he will do."
The NYT reported, "Those who know Gaetz’s thoughts directly concluded that he would not secure the necessary votes for confirmation in the Senate and decided to resign," calling it "the first major political setback for President-elect Trump since his election victory this month."
Gaetz’s resignation deals a significant blow to Trump’s personnel strategy, which has involved nominating and pushing through controversial figures for key positions in his second term. It is expected to impact the status of other nominees facing disqualification controversies, such as Pete Hegseth, the nominee for Secretary of Defense, who has been accused of sexual assault. After meeting with Senate Republican members on the same day, Hegseth told reporters that investigations confirmed no charges against him. Through his attorney, he also claimed that the incident was consensual, not sexual assault.
Trump’s transition team is also concerned about the possibility of additional resignations among key nominees for the second administration. A source familiar with the transition team told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) regarding Hegseth, "This is another case where the transition team has been caught off guard, leading to growing frustration," and added, "If the noise continues and media coverage worsens, there is a possibility that President-elect Trump will lose trust in him."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
