Matt Gaetz is resigning from Congress over Trump’s nomination for attorney general, Johnson says

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned from the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced.

Gaetz announced his resignation to Republican leaders in the House of Representatives on the same day that President-elect Donald Trump named him his attorney general, Johnson said.

“I think out of respect for us, he issued his letter of resignation effective immediately,” Johnson said. “That surprised us a little. But I asked him why, and he said: Well, you can’t have too many absences.”

The spokesman noted that Florida state law gave the governor “approximately eight weeks” to fill a vacancy in the House of Representatives and that by doing so “we may be able to fill this seat as early as January 3rd.” to occupy”.

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Johnson said he is already in contact with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on the matter.

Speaking to reporters after the internal House GOP leadership elections, Johnson said Trump had already informed him of his decision to tap Gaetz for the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday morning.

He is the third House Republican Trump has nominated for his new administration, after naming Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Florida, as national security adviser (NSA).

Trump’s two previous elections sparked concerns that the already tenuous majority for Republicans in the House of Representatives could be thinned in the 119th Congress.

But Gaetz’s early retirement should ease some of those concerns.

However, of the three House members selected, Gaetz likely faces the biggest hurdle to getting the job.

THE Democrats are privately worried about losing their House following Republican victories in the White House and Senate

President-elect Trump appointed Gaetz as his attorney general (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The NSA’s role has not been confirmed by the Senate, and Stefanik’s appointment has already received bipartisan praise.

But several Republican senators have already signaled they feel some unease about Gaetz, an outspoken bomb-thrower who was previously under a year-long Justice Department investigation over allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a minor. The DOJ ultimately did not file charges.

“He will never be confirmed,” a Republican senator who was granted anonymity to speak freely told Fox News Digital.

A Senate Republican source simply said, “That’s not going to happen” about the prospect of Gaetz’s confirmation.

The announcement came during the Republican leadership election in the House of Representatives. One lawmaker told Fox News Digital there was an “audible gasp” in the room when the news broke.

House leaders are moving quickly to consolidate power to show the confidence of the Republican majority

The current Attorney General is Merrick Garland. (Getty Images)

However, in nominating him, Trump praised Gaetz as “an extremely gifted and tenacious lawyer” who will “end gun government, protect our borders, dismantle criminal organizations, and restore Americans’ badly damaged faith and trust in the Justice Department.”

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House Republican leaders, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., also praised the appointment.

Fox News Digital reached out to Gaetz to confirm his resignation.