After former Representative Matt Gaetz abruptly withdrew from consideration to become attorney general on Thursday amid intense scrutiny of allegations of sex trafficking and drug use, some Republicans in the Senate welcomed his withdrawal.
Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, a Republican who has sparred with Mr. Gaetz, said the withdrawal was “probably a good decision.”
Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the departing Republican minority leader, described Mr. Gaetz’s decision as “appropriate,” his spokesman Doug Andres said. And Senator Susan Collins, a moderate Republican from Maine, issued a statement saying that Mr. Gaetz had “put country first.”
Mr. Gaetz has denied the sex-trafficking and drug allegations, and no charges have been filed, but he appeared to have faced long odds of securing the votes needed for confirmation in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Mr. Gaetz, once a thorn in the side of the former Republican House speaker Kevin McCarthy, had many enemies within his own party, and has limited legal experience. He was once investigated by the Justice Department over allegations of sex trafficking of an underage girl, though no charges were brought.
Mr. Trump said in a statement on his Truth Social platform that he felt Mr. Gaetz was “doing very well” in his efforts to win support for his nomination, but that the former congressman “did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect.” Vice President-elect JD Vance wrote on social media that Mr. Gaetz was a “patriot.”
Mr. Gaetz also received a note of support from Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, who had likened Mr. Gaetz’s detractors to an angry mob. In a statement on social media, Mr. Graham described Mr. Gaetz as “very smart and talented,” and predicted that he would “continue to contribute to our nation’s wellbeing for years to come.”
Mr. Gaetz’s withdrawal came one day after House Republicans blocked the release of a House Ethics Committee report on sexual misconduct allegations against the former congressman. Mr. Gaetz served in Congress from 2017 until last week, when he resigned after Mr. Trump selected him as his nominee for attorney general.
After Mr. Gaetz’s withdrawal, Senator Mike Rounds, Republican of South Dakota, told reporters that the decision “did not surprise” him. Mr. Rounds had previously said that he wanted to see the House Ethics Committee report on Mr. Gaetz, and had suggested the confirmation process could be delayed if the House did not release the information.
Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, said that it was “pretty obvious” that Mr. Gaetz did not have the votes to be confirmed.
Other Republicans — including Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — declined to comment. Ms. Murkowski, along with Mr. McConnell and Ms. Collins, was said to be part of a group of Republicans who were sharply resistant to Mr. Gaetz’s nomination.
Others within the party maintained their support. Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, said he was surprised to learn that Mr. Gaetz had withdrawn his name.
“I thought that the Senate should give him a full and fair hearing and move expeditiously on the confirmation,” Mr. Cruz told reporters.
The immediate public reaction from Democrats was muted, but Representative Ritchie Torres, Democrat of New York, suggested that Mr. Gaetz would have caused chaos in the Justice Department if he had become attorney general.
“Matt Gaetz is a clown,” Mr. Torres said in a statement, “and the withdrawal of his nomination prevents the Department of Justice from becoming his circus.”
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