AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File
Ace Florida political journalist Marc Caputo reports that embattled former congressman Matt Gaetz could still have a political future — and may even succeed Ron DeSantis as governor of the Sunshine State two years from now.
Gaetz, whose nomination to serve as President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general quickly fell apart, was dealt another blow on Wednesday when the House Ethics Committee released a devastating report alleging severe sexual misconduct on his part. According to the report, the Ethics Committee found “substantial evidence” that Gaetz had “violated House Rules, state and federal laws, and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, acceptance of impermissible gifts, the provision of special favors and privileges, and obstruction of Congress.”
Particularly damning is the “credible” allegation that Gaetz “engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl.”
Nevertheless, Caputo reports for The Bulwark that Gaetz’s career in politics may not be over yet:
Gaetz has hinted that he’s not done with politics, even if politicians in D.C. want to be done with him. Just a day before the report’s release, the ex-congressman was met with applause at Turning Point USA’s America Fest in Phoenix, where he floated the idea of running for governor or Senate. And there’s a good chance Trump would endorse Gaetz, whom he nominated to be the next attorney general before his hasty withdrawal, should Gaetz choose to jump into either race.
“Matt never got a commitment from the big guy to endorse him in 2026; he probably knew it was too much of an ask,” said a Trump adviser familiar with the discussions between the two men when Gaetz withdrew his nomination. But, the adviser noted: “Could Donald Trump endorse Matt Gaetz? Definitely. Matt is loyal. Matt is MAGA. But he needs to earn it like everyone else.”
Florida pollster Kevin Wagner concurred.
“The short answer is I don’t know what happens to Matt Gaetz. The incoming president could endorse him in 2026, and in that case, I wouldn’t bet against him in Florida,” he told Caputo.
Caputo expanded further on Gaetz’s path forward:
Already, the groundwork is being laid to get Gaetz to run once more. On Monday, MAGA operatives were lashing out at the Ethics Committee report, treating it as a form of political propaganda engineered by establishment lawmakers to remove a perpetual thorn in their side. Steve Bannon, a Trump adviser and the host of the War Room podcast influential in MAGAville, urged Gaetz to “return to Congress on its first day next year and take a page from that old song the ‘Harper Valley P.T.A.’ and expose all the hypocrites in the House who have used tax money to cover up their sexual depravity.”
Bannon’s bet is that the no-apologies-no-fucks-given approach that Trump has perfected can be adopted by his acolytes, even if it hasn’t worked for others (see: Lake, Kari). Some fellow Republicans agree that negative saturation media coverage isn’t as deadly as it used to be, especially in GOP politics, and that politicians with their own standalone brands like Gaetz are better built than others to survive scandal when scandal no longer seems scandalous.
After withdrawing from the confirmation process for attorney general last month, Gaetz teased a gubernatorial bid, sharing a post about how he “will be the next Governor of the State of Florida,” and adding a GIF of the state flag.
