washington – Matt Gaetz It was withdrawn Thursday after President-elect Donald Trump was named attorney general. federal sex trafficking investigation This cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief of federal law enforcement.

The Florida Republican’s announcement came a day after he met with senators for confirmation to lead the Justice Department.

“While momentum is strong, it is clear that my endorsement is an unfair distraction from the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz said in a statement announcing his decision. “There is no time to waste on needlessly protracted bickering in Washington, so I will withdraw my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s Department of Justice should be in place and ready on Day 1.”

Trump said in a social media post: “I greatly appreciate Matt Gaetz’s recent efforts to gain confirmation to become Attorney General. He was doing well, but he also did not want to distract the Administration he respects so much. Matt has a great future.” and I look forward to watching the amazing things he will do!”

Gaetz’s withdrawal is a blow to Trump’s effort to install loyalists in his new administration and the first sign that Trump may face resistance from members of his own party over picks with eyebrow-raising track records.

Gaetz’s announcement came just days after an attorney for the two women told House Ethics Committee investigators that their clients had paid them for sex on multiple occasions starting in 2017, when he was a congressman in Florida. He resigned from the House of Representatives after Trump announced that he would nominate him to the Cabinet.

One of the women testified that she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old boy at a party in Florida in 2017, according to attorney Joel Leppard. Leppard said his client stated that he did not think Gaetz knew that the girl was underage, and that he stopped their relationship when he found out and did not continue the relationship until the girl turned 18. The age of consent in Florida is 18.

Gaetz vehemently denied any wrongdoing. and I said last year He said the Justice Department’s investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls concluded without any federal charges against him.