Trump’s new pick after shock withdrawal

Donald Trump has announced a replacement for one of his most important jobs after a shock withdrawal this morning.

President-elect Donald Trump went from one Floridian to another — announcing that former Sunshine State Attorney General Pam Bondi would be his new pick to lead the Justice Department, hours after former nominee Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration.

“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore,” Mr Trump, 78, said in a statement on Truth Social.

“Pam will refocus the DOJ to 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!”

Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. Picture: Olivier Douliery / AFP

Trump hit by shock withdrawal

Matt Gaetz has withdrawn as Donald Trump’s pick to be US Attorney-General.

The controversial former Florida Representative announced he was removing his name from consideration to be the country’s top law officer on Thursday after meeting with Senators on Capitol Hill.

Mr Gaetz, 42, who resigned from the House of Representatives on November 13 after his nomination was announced by President-elect Trump, was facing the release of a potentially damaging House Ethics Committee report.

“I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday,” Mr Gaetz wrote on X.

Matt Gaetz said he did not want to become a ‘distraction’. Picture: Angela Weiss/AFP

“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. 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.

“I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. 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.”

Mr Trump posted on Truth Social, “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. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!”

The 42-year-old was facing allegations of sexual misconduct. Picture: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP

Sources told the NY Post that Mr Gaetz withdrew after realising he did not have the support of enough Republican senators to be confirmed.

“He didn’t have the votes and realised it,” one said.

Mr Gaetz’s pick had been overshadowed by the resurfacing of details from a sex trafficking probe into him by the Justice Department — which was wrapped up in early 2023 without charges — and an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation of alleged drug abuse and sexual misconduct, among other transgressions.

Female witnesses who testified to both federal and congressional investigators alleged that the then-congressman had sex with them for money — making more than $US10,000 in Venmo payments, according to transaction records obtained by ABC News.

At least one of those witnesses also claimed that she saw Mr Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old girl at a party in July 2017, during his first term in Congress, according to Joel Leppard, an Orlando-based lawyer representing the females accusing the former Florida politician.

CNN chief legal correspondent Paula Reid claimed on X that Mr Gaetz also bowed out 45 minutes after she called him to seek comment on a report about a second sexual encounter with the same underage girl in 2017.

Mr Gaetz has vehemently denied all allegations, saying the claims from witnesses “are invented and would constitute false testimony to Congress” and “should be viewed with great skepticism”.

Billionaire Elon Musk earlier this week spoke up in favour of Mr Gaetz’s nomination, describing the lawyer as “the Judge Dredd America needs to clean up a corrupt system and put powerful bad actors in prison”.

“As for these accusations against him, I consider them worth less than nothing,” he wrote. “Under our laws, a man is considered innocent until proven guilty.”

Other names previously rumoured to be on Mr Trump’s Attorney-General shortlist were Missouri Attorney-General Andrew Bailey and Utah Senator Mike Lee.

— with NY Post