President Trump will nominate former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi — who also served as one of his defense attorneys in his 2020 impeachment trial — to lead the Justice Department. The decision comes just six hours after Congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. 

In a statement released Thursday night, Trump said Ms. Bondi “is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!”

“Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, where she was very tough on Violent Criminals, and made the streets safe for Florida Families,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Then, as Florida’s first female Attorney General, she worked to stop the trafficking of deadly drugs, and reduce the tragedy of Fentanyl Overdose Deaths, which have destroyed many families across our Country.”

Ms. Bondi held the position of Florida’s top law enforcement officer for eight years between 2011 and 2019 after being elected by double-digit margins in both the 2010 and 2014 elections. Serving as attorney general of the Sunshine State was the first and only government job she ever held. 

In January 2020, more than a year after leaving office, Ms. Bondi was named to Trump’s impeachment defense team during the Senate trial. 

Her nomination comes just six hours after Mr. Gaetz withdrew his nomination from the Senate, saying that he did not want to be a “distraction” from the Trump agenda. 

Multiple senators had expressed doubts about Mr. Gaetz’s ability to be confirmed after he was first nominated by Trump on November 13, with many of them citing the allegations that he had had sex with a minor several years ago.