Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fl.), an incendiary member of Congress who is closely aligned with ex-President Donald Trump and has made petulant freak-outs part of his defining public image, is reportedly considering leaving his Congressional job. According to a new report from Axios revealing the deliberations, Gaetz is interested in becoming a media personality at Newsmax, a right-wing news outlet that gained increased prominence in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. Newsmax, like other right-wing interests, provided a platform for election-related conspiracy theories after Trump’s loss.
According to Axios, Gaetz “has privately told confidants he’s seriously considering not seeking re-election and possibly leaving Congress early for a job at Newsmax.” Newsmax is apparently just one option on a list — the Congressman “has told some of his allies he’s interested in becoming a media personality,” Axios adds. According to the outlet’s summary of what one of their sources had to say, Gaetz “has had early conversations with [Newsmax] about what a position could look like,” although Gaetz did not respond to “multiple” requests for comment from Axios, according to the outlet.
Gaetz was reported in 2019 to be considering running for an Alabama U.S. Senate seat, and Axios noted that “a prominent spot in the media could give Gaetz a platform for a future national political role.” After all, Republicans seemed eager to accept Trump as their leader despite his lack of formal political experience. He was a reality television personality and real estate developer prior to his presidential bid, and neither of these roles provide any actually substantive experience with which to build a solid policy platform.
While in office, Gaetz has distinguished himself with his over-the-top allegiance to Trump. During deliberations surrounding Trump’s second impeachment on a charge of incitement of insurrection, Gaetz — who was literally yelling at the time — claimed that Democratic leaders lit “actual flames!” and “actual fires!” which, on a basic level, is incorrect. Gaetz was trying to blame Democratic leaders for isolated instances of rioting that unfolded in connection to anti-police brutality protests in 2020, but only in fantasyland do they have anything meaningful to do with it. Top Democrats repeatedly offered unequivocal public condemnations of all violence.
