“The man I will be announcing for labor is a star, a great person, a great person.”

Andrew Puzder, Trump’s first pick to leader the Labor Department, withdrew his nomination Wednesday after Republican senators began telling the White House that they would not back the nominee. "After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my nomination for Secretary of Labor," Puzder said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. The fast food executive says in a statement provided to The Associated Press that he was “honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put America’s workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity.”

Puzder says “while I won’t be serving in the administration, I fully support the President and his highly qualified team.”

Puzder’s confirmation hearing was scheduled for Thursday. Puzder was scheduled to do extensive preparation on Wednesday afternoon for his confirmation hearing before the Senate on Thursday, but canceled the so-called "murder board" after top Republicans spoke to the White House, a source close to Puzder told CNN. The decision came as Senate Republicans told the White House he was losing support, a senior GOP source said, adding there were four firm Republican no votes and possibly up to 12. Puzder acknowledged early this month that he employed an undocumented immigrant as a housekeeper until learning of the worker’s immigration status.
Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, withdraws from consideration to be Secretary of Labor in President Donald Trump's cabinet.