Matt Gaetz withdraws as attorney general nominee

Washington — Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz announced Thursday that he is withdrawing his nomination for attorney general.

President-elect Donald Trump tapped Gaetz to lead the Justice Department as the nation's top law enforcement officer last week. He swiftly resigned his seat in the House and was on Capitol Hill with Vice President-elect JD Vance, an Ohio senator, meeting with Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee who would oversee his confirmation hearings.

Gaetz said in a social media post that while he had "excellent meetings" with senators, his confirmation battle was taking away from the work of the incoming Trump administration.