1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:03,366 AMNA NAWAZ: Welcome to the "News Hour." 2 00:00:03,366 --> 00:00:07,066 Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn from the running as Donald Trump's 3 00:00:09,366 --> 00:00:12,100 pick for attorney general. Sexual misconduct allegations against Gaetz fueled intense scrutiny, 4 00:00:14,066 --> 00:00:16,933 threatening his chances to be confirmed. Today, in a statement on social media, 5 00:00:16,933 --> 00:00:21,233 Gaetz wrote -- quote -- "While the momentum was strong, it's clear that my confirmation 6 00:00:21,233 --> 00:00:26,233 was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance transition." 7 00:00:28,066 --> 00:00:30,300 Yesterday, the House Ethics Committee deadlocked on a decision to release 8 00:00:30,300 --> 00:00:35,233 a report of a lengthy investigation into the allegations against Gaetz. He abruptly 9 00:00:37,166 --> 00:00:39,700 resigned from his role in Congress last week following Mr. Trump's nomination. 10 00:00:39,700 --> 00:00:42,233 Our Laura Barron-Lopez joins us now for more. 11 00:00:42,233 --> 00:00:46,200 So, Laura, tell us, why do we know -- what do we know about why Gaetz stepped aside? 12 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:48,633 LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Sources that I talked to today close to the transition, 13 00:00:48,633 --> 00:00:52,900 said that Matt Gaetz simply did not have the votes. 14 00:00:52,900 --> 00:00:57,566 And the more and more that came out, the details that came out about these 15 00:00:57,566 --> 00:01:02,533 sexual assault allegations, sexual abuse allegations, it made his pathway harder, 16 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:08,300 Amna. And the timing of the announcement is notable, because Matt Gaetz announced this a 17 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,600 day after meeting with senators on the Hill. He was joined by vice president-elect J.D. Vance. 18 00:01:15,700 --> 00:01:19,200 And he can only lose -- he could have only lost three votes in the Senate. And Gaetz never 19 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:24,000 requested a meeting with some of the senators who were most likely to oppose him, like Senator Susan 20 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:29,000 Collins of Maine. But, ultimately, it appeared as though he didn't have the support at all. 21 00:01:31,133 --> 00:01:34,533 And in a post on TRUTH Social, president-elect Trump thanked Gaetz for trying to get the 22 00:01:36,333 --> 00:01:38,700 Senate approval and said that Gaetz "was doing very well, but at the same 23 00:01:38,700 --> 00:01:43,700 time did not want to be a distraction for the administration, for which he has much respect." 24 00:01:46,066 --> 00:01:49,200 Now, that distraction that the president-elect, as well as Gaetz, have talked about is sexual 25 00:01:51,166 --> 00:01:54,866 misconduct allegations that also the House Ethics Committee was investigating. And, 26 00:01:54,866 --> 00:01:59,833 as a reminder, Amna, two women testified to the House Ethics Committee investigators 27 00:02:02,166 --> 00:02:05,100 that Gaetz paid them for sex on multiple occasions beginning in 2017, while he was a congressman. 28 00:02:07,266 --> 00:02:12,233 And one of the women testified that she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party. 29 00:02:14,066 --> 00:02:16,266 AMNA NAWAZ: What kind of reaction is all this getting on Capitol Hill today? 30 00:02:16,266 --> 00:02:19,700 LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Republican Senator Josh Hawley, who sits on the Judiciary Committee, 31 00:02:19,700 --> 00:02:23,333 said that ultimately Donald Trump needed someone better suited to the role. 32 00:02:23,333 --> 00:02:27,333 And Democrats like Senator Chris Coons, who is also on the Judiciary, 33 00:02:27,333 --> 00:02:32,333 said that the nomination all around was very troubling. 34 00:02:34,133 --> 00:02:36,133 SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): Listen, I think I go back to the fact that this 35 00:02:36,133 --> 00:02:38,333 is the president's Cabinet. He's got to choose people who he has confidence 36 00:02:38,333 --> 00:02:42,200 in and who are going to be able to deliver, he believes, on his agenda. 37 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,700 SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): For someone to be nominated to be the chief law enforcement 38 00:02:44,700 --> 00:02:49,700 officer of the United States and facing persistent and disturbing charges involving 39 00:02:52,033 --> 00:02:57,000 sex trafficking and drug use really caused some real challenges for him. 40 00:02:59,366 --> 00:03:01,600 LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: A number of Senate Republicans also said that there was a big sense of relief 41 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:06,000 that Gaetz withdrew. And one GOP lawmaker texted me, Amna -- quote -- "Problem solved." 42 00:03:08,100 --> 00:03:10,266 AMNA NAWAZ: You mentioned that House Ethics Committee report. What happens to that now? 43 00:03:10,266 --> 00:03:13,633 LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Leaders on the House Ethics Committee were quiet today about the future of 44 00:03:13,633 --> 00:03:18,533 that report. They had initially planned to meet on December 5 to decide whether to finish that report 45 00:03:18,533 --> 00:03:23,533 and to possibly release it. We don't know exactly if they're going to still hold that meeting. 46 00:03:25,566 --> 00:03:27,966 AMNA NAWAZ: And what about Matt Gaetz's future? Can he get his seat back next year? 47 00:03:27,966 --> 00:03:30,933 LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Lawmakers that I spoke to today so that their understanding is that there 48 00:03:30,933 --> 00:03:35,933 is nothing really barring Matt Gaetz from coming back in January and taking the oath of office. 49 00:03:38,033 --> 00:03:42,866 Technically, Gaetz resigned for the current Congress and many lawmakers are pointing to 50 00:03:44,766 --> 00:03:48,533 his carefully worded resignation letter, which said he does -- quote -- "not intend 51 00:03:50,033 --> 00:03:51,466 to take the oath." So he could very well potentially come back. 52 00:03:51,466 --> 00:03:53,500 AMNA NAWAZ: So Gaetz is out of the running. 53 00:03:53,500 --> 00:03:56,966 Who else is president-elect Trump likely to nominate to be his attorney general? 54 00:03:56,966 --> 00:03:59,933 LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Donald Trump's transition team didn't comment on 55 00:03:59,933 --> 00:04:04,000 who the president-elect is now considering, but sources close to the transition told me 56 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,400 that he is still -- he's back to the drawing board, essentially. 57 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:12,400 But before nominating Gaetz, a number of Republican sources told me that names being 58 00:04:14,533 --> 00:04:17,800 considered included Matt Whitaker, who served as acting attorney general during Trump's first 59 00:04:19,766 --> 00:04:23,100 administration. He has since been named to be the ambassador to NATO. Mike Davis, a 60 00:04:25,500 --> 00:04:27,966 Republican lawyer and former Senate aide, as well as Andrew Bailey, the Missouri attorney general. 61 00:04:27,966 --> 00:04:29,833 AMNA NAWAZ: I know you're tracking the status of some of the other 62 00:04:29,833 --> 00:04:33,500 nominations around which people have questions. What's the latest on that? 63 00:04:33,500 --> 00:04:37,700 LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, 64 00:04:37,700 --> 00:04:41,933 was on Capitol Hill today with J.D. Vance again trying to gain support. 65 00:04:41,933 --> 00:04:46,933 This comes right after last night a 22-page police report was released 66 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:52,200 that detailed a woman saying she was sexually assaulted by Hegseth in 2017. 67 00:04:53,933 --> 00:04:56,833 And Pete Hegseth was asked about these allegations on the Hill today. 68 00:04:56,833 --> 00:04:59,633 QUESTION: Did you sexually assault a woman in Monterey, California? 69 00:04:59,633 --> 00:05:02,800 PETE HEGSETH, U.S. Defense Secretary Nominee: I have -- as far as the media is concerned, 70 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,500 it's very simple. The matter was fully investigated and I was 71 00:05:06,500 --> 00:05:09,433 completely cleared. And that's where I'm going to leave it. 72 00:05:09,433 --> 00:05:11,300 LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: As you saw, 73 00:05:11,300 --> 00:05:13,900 Hegseth said there that the matter was investigated and that he was cleared. 74 00:05:13,900 --> 00:05:18,900 But Hegseth paid that woman in 2023, Amna, as part of a confidential settlement. 75 00:05:20,666 --> 00:05:22,066 AMNA NAWAZ: Laura Barron-Lopez with the latest on the Trump transition. 76 00:05:22,066 --> 00:05:23,033 Laura, thank you. 77 00:05:23,033 --> 00:05:24,600 LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Thank you.