Gaetz says he will not return to Congress in wake of AG withdrawal

President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of now-former Rep. Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general in his new administration collapsed under its own weight in relatively short order, and speculation is now rife about what the ex-congressman is planning to do next.

As USA Today notes, Gaetz resigned his seat in the House almost immediately upon receiving the nod from Trump, but even though he is not destined to become AG, he is not planning to assume the seat he recently won to serve in the next Congress beginning in January, as reported by NBC News.

Gaetz withdrawal, resignation spur speculation

It was on Thursday that Gaetz withdrew his name from the running to become U.S. attorney general, doing so amid growing resistance among senators seen as key to his confirmation prospects, with some expressing concerns about prior allegations of sexual misconduct that continued to dog the former Florida lawmaker.

Soon after, commentators began to wonder whether Gaetz would simply take steps to assume office in the new Congress come January, considering that he had recently won election to another two-year term.

Gaetz did not take long to quash that possibility, revealing that he had no plans to return to the House, as NBC News noted separately.

Speaking to conservative pundit and activist Charlie Kirk, Gaetz said, “I'm still going to be in the fight, but it's going to be from a new perch.”

Gaetz continued, “I'm 42 now, and I've got other goals in life that I'm eager to pursue -- my wife and my family -- and so I'm going to be fighting for President Trump. I'm going to be doing whatever he asks of me, as I always have. But I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress.”

What's next?

With the first key question effectively answered, speculation turned to precisely what sort of role Gaetz might be envisioning for himself, whether inside or outside the new administration.

As the New York Post reported, curiosity was spurred once again by a provocative post on X in which Gaetz responded to a post from former Florida state lawmaker Anthony Sabatini, who speculated on a possible new job for the ex-congressman.

Sabatini opined that Gaetz “will be the next Governor of the State of Florida,” to Gaetz replied with a GIF of the Sunshine State's flag, suggesting to some a possible openness to a run for said office.

In the meantime, Gaetz is not sitting idle, as The Hill reports, having recently joined the online celebrity-for-hire platform Cameo, following in the footsteps of former Rep. George Santos, who has been offering his personalized message and greeting services on the site since his expulsion from Congress.

One thing seems pretty clear in the wake of last week's whirlwind, namely that much like Santos, Gaetz is unlikely to return to an official role in the U.S. House of Representatives anytime soon.