Trump transition live updates: Gaetz withdraws name from consideration to be AG; new pick announced

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Last updated: Thursday, November 21, 2024 11:39PM GMT
Matt Gaetz drops out amid sexual misconduct scandal

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, said Thursday he is withdrawing his name for the role -- just a day after Gaetz spoke with Republican senators on Capitol Hill about the nomination process.

Another controversial Cabinet pick, Pete Hegseth, is on the Hill on Thursday with Vice President-elect JD Vance to make his case for the secretary of the Department of Defense job.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to announce his picks for top jobs inside his administration.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
WPVI logo
Nov 18, 2024, 4:23 PM

List: Trump's picks for cabinet, key roles in next administration

President-elect Donald Trump is naming cabinet members and adding other key positions to his administration.

These team members will have a direct impact on implementing Trump's policies in his second term.

MORE | Here's a look at the president-elect's other appointees so far.

This split image shows Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, Sen. Marco Rubio, middle, and former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla, right.
This split image shows Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, Sen. Marco Rubio, middle, and former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla, right.
ABCNews logo
Nov 21, 2024, 2:00 PM GMT

Comer to create 'DOGE' House Oversight subcommittee: Source

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is set to create a new "Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE)" subcommittee to work with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy's incoming Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the next Congress, a source familiar with the plans tells ABC News.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will chair the new subcommittee, which will "support the Oversight and Accountability Committee's mission to root out waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government," the source said.

Lawmakers involved in the future subcommittee have already met with members of the White House "DOGE" team, including Ramaswamy, who support the House Oversight Committee's endeavor and are already working together, the source said.

"The subcommittees will be officially established early next year when the Oversight and Accountability Committee meets to ratify its rules for the 119th Congress," the source said.

-ABC News' Will Steakin

ByAllison Pecorin ABCNews logo
Nov 21, 2024, 12:27 AM GMT

Tillis slams colleagues for missing judiciary votes in fiery floor speech

In a fiery floor speech on Wednesday, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis took his GOP colleagues to task for missing votes on Monday that he said could have helped Republicans block the Democratic effort to install lame-duck lifetime judiciary appointments.

Trump has made clear he wants Republicans to make every effort to block Democrats from advancing judicial nominations.

The Senate is again expected to be in quite late Wednesday evening trying to process judicial nominations, a process necessary because Republicans are objecting to placing votes on these nominees on the Senate calendar.

Republicans will be powerless to stop this if all Democrats show up to vote, as Democrats have the majority necessary to move nominees through. But there were enough Democratic absences on Monday that a full Republican showing could have defeated some of the nominations.

Tillis didn't mince words on the Senate floor Wednesday as he called out his colleagues for missing votes.

"I think the American people are on board with me: We have to show up for work, right?" he said.

"We've got work to do here and I understand there are all kinds of good reasons but there's no excuse to let Chuck Schumer force these judicial nominations down our throat," Tillis said. "We've got to show up for work."

ByAllison Pecorin ABCNews logo
Nov 21, 2024, 12:22 AM GMT

Gaetz says meetings have been 'going great,' not focused on Ethics Committee activity

Reporters caught former Rep. Matt Gaetz re-entering the Capitol on Wednesday evening to continue meetings he has been having with senators and Vice President-elect JD Vance.

"It's been going great," Gaetz, Trump's pick for attorney general, said. "Senators have been giving me a lot of good advice. I'm looking forward to a hearing. Folks have been very supportive, and they've been saying we are going to get a fair process. So it's a great day of momentum for the Trump-Vance administration."

Asked if he had any reaction to the House Ethics Committee being deadlocked on whether to release its report on him, Gaetz said he hasn't been tracking the developments.

"I'll be honest with you, I've been focused on what we've got to do to reform the Department of Justice. I've been meeting with senators. I haven't been paying much attention to that," Gaetz said.

Gaetz said he hasn't spoken to Trump today but "had a great time with the vice president-elect talking about how we are going to end weaponization at the Department of Justice."

"We are going to tackle fentanyl. We are going to ensure that we don't have the DOJ involved in censorship anymore and make sure that we get the country back on track and are there for President Trump's total fulfillment of his promise on his immigration agenda," Gaetz continued.

Asked if he was confident he could be confirmed, Gaetz dodged.

"It was a great day," he said.

BySelina Wang, Katherine Faulders and John Santucci ABCNews logo
Nov 21, 2024, 12:21 AM GMT

Scott Bessent emerging as treasury secretary favorite: Sources

Donald Trump's transition meetings Wednesday have been focused in part on the treasury secretary role, with hedge fund manager Scott Bessent emerging as a favorite, sources with knowledge of the proceedings told ABC News.

However, the sources cautioned that no decision has been made until Trump announces it.

Bessent has been a frequent presence at Mar-a-Lago and has met with the president-elect often. He's become a favorite pick partly because he's viewed as a credible choice with the necessary markets and macroeconomic knowledge for the role, according to sources.

Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan and former Federal Reserve board governor Kevin Warsh have also been in meetings with Trump about the role, according to the sources.

Veteran Investor Kyle Bass posted on X, "Scott Bessent is eminently more qualified than Howard Lutnick to run the U.S. Treasury. Scott understands markets, economics, people, and geopolitics better than anyone I've ever interacted with. Markets have already anticipated a Bessent choice. Lutnick is not Trump's answer."

In response, Trump adviser Elon Musk wrote, "Bessent is a business-as-usual choice, whereas (Lutnick) will actually enact change."