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December 23, 2024 - 8:00pm
Ex-Florida House Representative Matt Gaetz seemed to be tailor-made for the MAGA era, and could have had a stellar future as a potential successor to Donald Trump. That is, had he not been felled by revelations of his private escapades, the lurid details of which are about to be made public by the release of the House’s ethics report.
A leaked draft offers an unsettling preview of the extent of Gaetz’s wrongdoing, which includes allegedly engaging in “prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favours or privileges [to the tune of $90,000 in suspected sex payments to women—including minors], and obstruction of Congress”.
Yet even accepting the premise that Gaetz is up to his neck in muck, there is still an element of tragedy in his downfall. That is because he displayed solidly populist instincts during his short congressional career and could have played a constructive — rather than a purely disruptive — role in charting the future of MAGA. Sadly, that possibility is now dead. There are at least two scenarios for the former congressman: permanent exile or eventual rehabilitation.
For now, Gaetz has a gig at OAN to look forward to, even as he will have to battle the legal and reputational consequences of the fallout. But even if he succeeds with his lawsuit to contain the damage, the fact is he has been purged from the institutions of power and now must consign himself to the realm of cable and podcasts, where outcasts such as Steve Bannon and Sarah Palin are put out to pasture.
But could Gaetz launch a comeback from his OAN perch? It’s possible. The Senate seat vacated by Marco Rubio may be out of the question, but there are two other possibilities: a play at the governor’s mansion when Ron DeSantis’s term is up in 2026 or another executive appointment from Trump once the heat from the present controversy dies down.
But in order for such a comeback to be successful and sustainable, he must not only have the backing of the president but also secure the loyalty of his MAGA base as well. The trouble is that the base’s devotion to Trump has not yet proven to be transferable to anyone else besides himself; so far, even his most MAGA-fied lieutenants — like Kari Lake in Arizona or even members of the Trump family — have failed to generate momentum independent of the President-elect.
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SubscribeAnd since when was a “House Ethics” Report reliable?
Exactly. The House Ethics Committee breached its ethical responsibilities (in my opinion) by releasing this report. No investigative body should release charges like this where the person being charged with criminal activity has no chance to defend themselves. The justice system should never be used for political purposes.
Everyone hates Matt Gaetz – Democrats, Republicans, Floridians, etc. If this was not the case, they couldn’t have gotten the votes to release this information. It’s not just a couple of women – it’s many young girls. Not sure if he looks more like Beavis or Butthead, but either way, he’s history – and not in a good way.
Matt Gaetz just won an election 66% to 33%. He had previously beaten a primary challenger 70% to 29%. The people in his congressional district seem not to hate him. You might even say they like him.
Myself, I think the House Ethics Committee ought to be ashamed of themselves. They had no business releasing that report. It was sleazy and political. They should leave criminal justice up to the criminal justice system.
It’s over. It was weeks ago. His enemies, and he’d generated a good number, probably couldn’t quite believe the stupidity of Don J crackers idea to make this ‘wrong un’ the AG. ‘Anyone for a bit of a background check on this guy given the importance of the role we intend to give him? Nah, who cares about that’. Thus gifting the chance for a spectacular takedown. Not a serious Administration is it.
Now for the next magical bit of judgment.