Matt Gaetz will not return to Congress next year

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz announced that he will not return to Congress after withdrawing his nomination to be attorney general for President-elect Donald Trump.

"I'm still going to be in the fight, but it's going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress," Gaetz told Axios during an interview with Charlie Kirk.

Gaetz claimed that he will continue to support Donald Trump, but "not as an elected member of the government.”

Gaetz resigned his House seat last week, just hours after Trump revealed his intention to nominate him as attorney general.

The former Florida congressman announced that he will not be the Trump administration's attorney general. He said that the decision was made due to the fact that, in his opinion, his nomination was becoming a distraction for the transition.

"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,”Gaetz said.

divisive nominations, drawing both strong support and significant opposition within the Republican ranks. A staunch ally of the president-elect, Gaetz is known for his controversial and confrontational style, even with his own party colleagues (notably playing a key role in the ousting of Speaker Kevin McCarthy). This raised doubts about his ability to secure the Senate majority's endorsement, a crucial hurdle for leading agencies like the Department of Justice (DOJ).