Matt Gaetz said he fell victim to a 'smear' campaign that dredged up old and discredited allegations in his first interview since withdrawing his name from consideration as Donald Trump's attorney general.

And he revealed he will not be returning to Congress next year despite having been re-elected to the seat he vacated.

Instead, he told The Charlie Kirk Show, he will now work to recruit the talent that could help underpin the new Trump administration.

Gaetz, who sensationally dropped out on Thursday amid a drip, drip, drip of allegations from a House Ethics Committee probe into allegations that he had sex with an underage girl.