Matt Gaetz's withdrawn nomination for attorney general and the House Ethics report
Gone quiet · last story Apr 2, 2025
What this arc covers
Trump's November 2024 pick of Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general: Gaetz's resignation from Congress, the allegations that he paid for sex, including with a 17-year-old, the fight over releasing the House Ethics Committee's report, his withdrawal eight days later and Trump's choice of Pam Bondi instead, and the report's December release accusing him of paying for sex.
Earliest story we hold Nov 13, 2024 · 30 stories · 194 independent sources (counted once each) · 140 days
Part of Trump's cabinet nominations
- Matt Gaetz's withdrawn nomination for attorney general and the House Ethics reportThis arcNov 13, 2024 – Apr 2, 2025
- Pete Hegseth's confirmation as defense secretaryNov 13, 2024 – Jan 24, 2025
- RFK Jr.'s confirmation as health secretaryNov 14, 2024 – Feb 12, 2025
- Marty Makary's time leading the FDA and Heidi Overton's nomination to succeed himNov 23, 2024 – Sep 24, 2026
- Kash Patel at the FBI, from his nomination to the fights over his tenureDec 1, 2024 – Sep 15, 2026
- Todd Blanche's nomination as attorney generalApr 2 – Aug 8, 2026
Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning
Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below
- Nov 13 – 14, 2024Trump picks Rep. Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general101 articles · 46 independent sources
- Nov 19 – 21, 2024Republicans on House Ethics reject for now releasing report on Matt Gaetz59 articles · 43 independent sources
- Nov 21 – 22, 2024Gaetz withdraws as Trump's pick for attorney general175 articles · 98 independent sources
- Nov 21 – 23, 2024Trump chooses loyalist Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Matt Gaetz withdraws132 articles · 70 independent sources
- Nov 21, 2024Trump chooses Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Gaetz withdraws
- Nov 23, 2024Trump’s AG pick Pam Bondi is more conventional than Gaetz but the agenda to disrupt the Justice Department won’t change
- Nov 21 – 23, 2024After dropping attorney general nomination, Matt Gaetz says he won't return to Congress58 articles · 41 independent sources
- Dec 18 – 19, 2024Matt Gaetz report to be released by House Ethics Committee after all79 articles · 53 independent sources
- Dec 23 – 24, 2024House Ethics Committee accuses Gaetz of paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl115 articles · 68 independent sources
Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side
LeftCenterRight
Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.
Every week as a table
| Week of | Left | Center | Right | Articles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 11, 2024 | 24 | 47 | 19 | 374 |
| Nov 18, 2024 | 35 | 61 | 27 | 519 |
| Nov 25, 2024 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| Dec 2, 2024 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 44 |
| Dec 9, 2024 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 13 |
| Dec 16, 2024 | 8 | 14 | 6 | 78 |
| Dec 23, 2024 | 20 | 26 | 11 | 143 |
| Mar 24, 2025 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| Mar 31, 2025 | 5 | 12 | 6 | 33 |
Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.
26% left · 55% center · 19% right of 194 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 30 stories.
Every storyoldest first
November 2024
Nov 13– 20GOP senators divided on release of Gaetz ethics report as Trump pressures them to move quickly34 articles · 24 independent sources4 left, 9 center, 3 right- Nov 13– 14Matt Gaetz once faced a sex trafficking investigation by the Justice Department he could now lead23 articles · 16 independent sources1 left, 6 center, 1 right
- Nov 13– 14Trump picks Rep. Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general101 articles · 46 independent sources11 left, 22 center, 8 right
- Nov 13– 14Trump picks Matt Gaetz for attorney general, Marco Rubio for Secretary of State46 articles · 17 independent sources4 left, 6 center, 1 right
- Nov 13– 19Trump is determined to see Gaetz confirmed as AG despite controversies61 articles · 35 independent sources9 left, 14 center, 11 right
- Nov 14Gaetz pick shows value Trump places on loyalty — and retribution — as he returns to Washington14 articles · 13 independent sources2 left, 3 center, 1 right
- Nov 14Matt Gaetz Abruptly Resigns From Congress After Trump Picks Him As Attorney General27 articles · 15 independent sources2 left, 5 center, 8 right
- Nov 14Sen. Fetterman says Trump is ‘trolling’ with Rep. Gaetz attorney general pick5 articles · 5 independent sources0 left, 2 center, 3 right
- Nov 14– 16Woman testified Matt Gaetz had sex with her while she was 17 and in high school: Report46 articles · 13 independent sources2 left, 5 center, 2 right
- Nov 14Show us the Gaetz ethics report, Durbin and others urge8 articles · 8 independent sources3 left, 3 center, 2 right
- Nov 15– 16Speaker Johnson says Gaetz ethics report should not be released, rebuffing senators36 articles · 27 independent sources3 left, 9 center, 4 right
- Nov 16– 19Matt Gaetz allegedly paid an adult woman for sex in 2017, attorney says35 articles · 14 independent sources5 left, 5 center, 3 right
- Nov 18– 19House Ethics Committee to meet Wednesday amid growing pressure to release Gaetz report15 articles · 9 independent sources2 left, 5 center, 1 right
- Nov 18– 19Florida court fight gives insight into the House review of sex allegations against Matt Gaetz5 articles · 5 independent sources2 left, 1 center, 0 right
- Nov 19– 20Hacker accesses sealed testimony of woman alleging Matt Gaetz had sex with her when she was 1722 articles · 18 independent sources4 left, 8 center, 2 right
- Nov 19– 21Republicans on House Ethics reject for now releasing report on Matt Gaetz59 articles · 43 independent sources7 left, 14 center, 7 right
- Nov 19Women testified to House panel that they were paid for sexual favors by Gaetz, lawyer says5 articles · 5 independent sources0 left, 3 center, 0 right
- Nov 21– 23After dropping attorney general nomination, Matt Gaetz says he won't return to Congress58 articles · 41 independent sources5 left, 14 center, 9 right
- Nov 21– 22Gaetz withdraws as Trump's pick for attorney general175 articles · 98 independent sources16 left, 30 center, 14 right
- Nov 21– 23Trump chooses loyalist Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Matt Gaetz withdraws132 articles · 70 independent sources16 left, 22 center, 16 right
- Nov 22– 24Matt Gaetz joins Cameo after dropping from attorney general consideration7 articles · 7 independent sources2 left, 2 center, 3 right
- Nov 25– 26Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis seeks to replace Matt Gaetz10 articles · 8 independent sources1 left, 2 center, 4 right
December 2024
Dec 3– 6House rejects Democratic efforts to force release of Matt Gaetz ethics report45 articles · 25 independent sources4 left, 10 center, 4 right- Dec 10Matt Gaetz to join One America News as an anchor, source says15 articles · 15 independent sources3 left, 3 center, 5 right
- Dec 18– 19Matt Gaetz report to be released by House Ethics Committee after all79 articles · 53 independent sources8 left, 14 center, 6 right
- Dec 23House Ethics Committee expected to release long-anticipated Matt Gaetz report Monday34 articles · 23 independent sources4 left, 8 center, 6 right
- Dec 23– 24House Ethics Committee accuses Gaetz of paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl115 articles · 68 independent sources17 left, 21 center, 10 right
March 2025
Mar 25– 28Democrats raise millions in Florida special House elections: ‘The floodgates have really opened'7 articles · 7 independent sources0 left, 2 center, 2 rightApril 2025
Apr 1– 2Republicans win Florida special elections in Trump strongholds by narrower margins than in 202423 articles · 18 independent sources4 left, 6 center, 3 right- Apr 2Republican Jimmy Patronis wins Florida's 1st congressional district race, defeating Democrat Gay Valimont11 articles · 10 independent sources1 left, 6 center, 3 right