This article has been updated since publication.
Florida congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration for U.S. attorney general—triggering a debate on social media about who President-elect Donald Trump should pick instead.
Trump ultimately selected former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his nominee for the position Thursday evening.
Bondi has been serving as Chair of the Center for Litigation at America First Policy Institute.
However, before Trump’s announcement, one of the names being floated on social media platform X was Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
One such account, called The Trump Train, boasts well over half a million followers on X and posted today for individuals to respond with a “thumbs up” emoji if they support Paxton as the next U.S. attorney general.
In a similar X post, internet personality Vince Langman urged people to respond with either a “thumbs up” or a “thumbs down” to indicate their support for Paxton as Trump’s next pick.
The responses demonstrated the resounding approval of Paxton.
Another account called Trump Army posted a picture of Paxton as a reply to Gaetz’s withdrawal announcement and said, “I think Ken Paxton is a good choice for Attorney General!!”
Texas-based political commentator Sara Gonzales posted, “Ken Paxton KNOWS firsthand what it’s like to deal with a weaponized FBI. He has personally gone through the lawfare, and he is best suited to END IT. Come on, DJT.”
Gaetz said that his decision to step down followed a Wednesday meeting with U.S. senators in Washington, D.C. He explained it was clear that his upcoming confirmation hearings were causing distractions to the Trump-Vance transition to power.
Trump responded shortly afterward with a statement thanking Gaetz for his efforts in seeking approval as the U.S. attorney general.
“He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect,” Trump said. “Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things you do.”
The U.S. House Ethics Committee recently said that its panel had not reached an agreement to release a report on Gaetz after investigating him for alleged sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.
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