Donald Trump's controversial pick for US attorney-general, Matt Gaetz, has withdrawn his nomination after days of pushback on both sides of politics.
Mr Gaetz's decision prevents a messy showdown in the Senate, where his pending confirmation as America's top law officer was under a cloud, despite strong support from the president-elect.
The former Florida congressman had been under investigation for sexual misconduct, and senators wanted to see a report into the allegations before confirming his appointment.
Mr Gaetz denies all wrongdoing, but said his nomination was "unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance transition".
"There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I'll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General," he wrote on X.
Trump said he greatly appreciated Mr Gaetz's efforts in seeking approval to be 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 wrote on Truth Social.
"Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!"
A few hours later, Trump announced he would instead nominate former Florida Attorney-General Pam Bondi.
She was part of Trump's defence team during his impeachment trial in the Senate in 2020, and campaigned for him before this year's election.
"For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponised against me and other Republicans," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"Not anymore. Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again."
The switch comes just eight days after Trump announced he had chosen Mr Gaetz for the role, which involves overseeing the operations of the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
The DOJ had previously investigated Mr Gaetz for alleged sex trafficking crimes. But it wound up its investigation last year without pressing charges.
Ethics findings remain a mystery
The House of Representatives Ethics Committee had separately investigated Mr Gaetz, 42, over allegations he had sex with a 17-year-old girl, used illicit drugs and accepted improper gifts.
Mr Gaetz resigned from Congress, with immediate effect, the day Trump announced his nomination.
His resignation means the ethics report may never be released.
"We don't issue investigations and ethics reports on people who are not members of Congress," House Speaker Mike Johnson said at the weekend.
But on Wednesday, local time, the committee voted on whether to release its findings, as some senators had requested. The vote was tied, 5-5, along party lines and the report was not released.
To become attorney-general, Mr Gaetz required the support of the US Senate, which must confirm the president-elect's cabinet picks.
Some Republican senators had indicated they had reservations about confirming Mr Gaetz, which is required for the appointment to go ahead.
The party's small majority in the Senate following the November election means Mr Gaetz could only afford to be opposed by three Republicans in the chamber.
'A lot of red flags'
During his time in Congress, Mr Gaetz built a reputation as a hardline MAGA firebrand.
But he alienated many members of his party, partly due to his tendency to insult and attack his colleagues.
Last year, he moved to bring down then-House speaker Kevin McCarthy, triggering weeks of dysfunction in Congress and angering many of his Republican peers.
Some have welcomed his decision not to pursue the attorney-general role.
"There were a lot of red flags," moderate Republican Senator Susan Collins said.
"He put country first."
Mr Gaetz was not the only cabinet pick that had generated controversy.
Trump's choice for defence secretary, Fox News host Peter Hegseth, has also denied allegations of sexual assault.
He was never charged, but paid his alleged victim in 2020 to settle the case.
According to a newly released police report, the woman told investigators she may have been drugged before she found herself in Mr Hegseth's hotel room at a Republican women's conference in California in 2017.
He took her phone, blocked the door and sexually assaulted her, she alleged.
Mr Hegseth told police the encounter was consensual, and he confirmed her consent verbally multiple times.
After Mr Gaetz's withdrawal, Trump's transition team released a statement saying Mr Hegseth had "strong support on Capitol Hill", and quoted almost a dozen Republican senators praising him.
