CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are reacting to a leading candidate for President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw, but also say they are not under intense pressure to toe the party line.
This happens to almost every recent president. They have put forward at least one controversial candidate and there is pressure for that person to drop out.
Former Florida Republican congressman Matt Gaetz will not be the next U.S. attorney general. According to Nexstar’s Washington, D.C. office, Gaetz decided to retire after reviewing a federal sex trafficking investigation and the House Ethics Committee debating whether to release its report on Gaetz. However, he has denied these claims.
Gaetz said in a statement that he did not want to “distract” Trump’s return to the White House.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (right) of West Virginia says that’s probably a correct assessment. But there are reports in the Nation’s Capital that Republican senators are being pressured to support the rest of Trump’s nominees or are facing Trump-backed primary opponents. Senator Capito says she has heard nothing of the kind.
“If you ask me, ‘Did I receive this message and was it delivered to my office?’, the answer is clearly, ‘No!’ “I don’t feel like the president expects me to do my job,” Capito said.
Capito says the Senate has a constitutional duty to “advise and consent” on all presidential appointments.
As for any other Cabinet or judicial appointments, Senator Capito says she will give them all due consideration before voting.
It was announced Thursday evening that Trump has now selected former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his next choice for U.S. attorney general.
