Matt Gaetz says he doesn't plan on returning to Congress

Matt Gaetz said Friday he will not return to Congress after withdrawing his name from consideration to be President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general.

In an interview with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on "Real America's Voice," Gaetz said he is "still going to be in the fight but it's going to be from a new perch."

"I do not intend to join the 119th Congress," he said. "There are a number of fantastic Floridians who've stepped up to run for my seat, people who have inspired with their heroism, with their public service. And I'm actually excited to see northwest Florida go to new heights and have great representation."

Questions swirled about Gaetz's future after he dropped his confirmation bid on Thursday amid sexual misconduct allegations. Gaetz has long denied the allegations, which were the subject of a federal investigation that ended with no charges as well as a House Ethics Committee probe that was in its final stages when Gaetz stepped down from office last week.

While Gaetz resigned from the 118th Congress just hours after being tapped by Trump to serve in the administration, he won reelection to serve in the 119th Congress beginning in January.

Gaetz said he's been an elected official for 14 years, including eight years on Capitol Hill, and that he has "other goals in life" he wants to pursue.

"I'm going to be fighting for President Trump. I'm going to be doing whatever he asks of me, as I always have," Gaetz said. "But I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress."

Gaetz also praised Pam Bondi, who was quickly tapped by Trump on Thursday evening to lead the Justice Department pending Senate confirmation.

Asked by Kirk what happened that caused him to step back from consideration, Gaetz contended it wasn't about the allegations or the House Ethics Committee report -- which Democrats are still pushing to have released.

Gaetz pinned the blame of unsuccessful nomination on his effort to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, suggesting too many lawmakers had an "ax to grind."

"There were senators that had not gotten to yes," Gaetz acknowledged, though he argued he believed he could have swayed lawmakers to support him.

"I could have engaged in a monthslong fact battle," he said. "But we don't have months to go through that."

"It was more a matter of pace than anything," Gaetz said, "and the pace was just going to be too, too long for me and with someone like Pam that we can put right there in that spot, we're going to be far more successful as an administration."