Donald Trump moved quickly to find a new candidate for attorney general on Thursday, announcing the former Florida A.G. Pam Bondi as his pick to head the nation’s legal system.
Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration earlier in the day when it became clear that a lingering scandal meant he did not have the votes to be confirmed in the Senate.
‘Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, where she was very tough on violent criminals, and made the streets safe for Florida Families,” Trump posted on Truth Social as he made the announcement.
“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.’
Trump has made clear that he wants a disruptor in the role, someone who will overhaul the Department of Justice and help push through his agenda from day one.
That should have been Gaetz, a combative congressman from Florida. But he withdrew after eight turbulent days in the spotlight.
He had been investigated by the Department of Justice making him a shock choice to lead it. And a drip, drip, drip of headlines about a sex scandal showed no sign of letting up.
“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 in announcing his withdrawal, a day after meeting with senators in an effort to win them over.