The future of Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in politics is up in the air following his announcement that he is withdrawing his name from the election to become attorney general in the Trump administration.
Gaetz was under intense scrutiny over previous investigations by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the House Ethics Committee. The DOJ was investigating Gaetz as part of a broader sex-trafficking investigation, including allegations of underage women, but declined to press charges. Gaetz has strongly denied the allegations. The former congressman was also the head of a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of adultery and drug use.
“Although the power was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was undermining the important work of the Trump / Vance Transition,” Gaetz wrote on the social platform X.
Here are five examples of what could come next for Gaetz.
Another role in the Trump administration
While Gaetz has withdrawn from the race for attorney general, President Trump can still appoint him to the executive branch, in the White House or elsewhere, which would not require a Senate hearing.
By selecting Gaetz, Trump would have the highest-ranking defense attorney in his administration without having to go through a confirmation process. Senate Republicans warned that a confirmation hearing on Gaetz would be like “Kavanaugh on steroids,” referring to the 2018 trial of now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
If Gaetz were to take on another role in the Trump administration, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) would have to set a special election date for Gaetz’s seat in the 1st congressional district.
DeSantis has already directed the Florida secretary of state to schedule a special election, but a date has not yet been set. The first district is a red seat and will likely see a contested Republican primary. A number of Republicans have already lined up to compete in the elections for Mr. Gaetz’s seat.
Gubernatorial run
Gaetz was among the Republicans floated to run for governor when DeSantis’ term expires in 2026.
But a gubernatorial run for Gaetz would come with baggage.
“Gaetz is a damaged property and donors need to stand behind someone,” said Dan Eberhart, a Florida-based Republican donor.
“It’s time for Gaetz to practice law,” he added.
A gubernatorial run, however, could raise problems for Gaetz up on Capitol Hill. One House Republican, who asked not to be identified to discuss the sensitive issue, said there may still be a recommendation for more information regarding Gaetz’s allegations, including the Ethics Committee report.
“If he has volunteered to run for governor, which seems like everyone thinks he will be run, I think that if that is not the case, the information should come out because people need to know who they are choosing,” the lawmaker said.
Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) were also nominated for the position, but with Waltz being appointed to serve as Trump’s national security adviser, Gaetz will likely face Donalds in the primary.
“Right now, the frontrunner to be the next governor of Florida is Byron Donalds,” said Ford O’Connell, a Florida-based GOP strategist.
Return to the House of Representatives
Gaetz resigned from his seat in the current 118th Congress, but his resignation letter left an opening for Gaetz to return to the 119th Congress which begins on January 3, 2025, after he was re-elected to the seat.
“I do not intend to take the oath of office for the same office in the 119th Congress to serve as Attorney General in the Trump Administration,” Gaetz wrote in his letter.
Now that he is no longer seeking the position of attorney general, his intentions may change.
It is unclear whether Gaetz can return unilaterally, but some conference sources believe he can. If not, Gaetz easily won the election, and could win the special election.
Of course, Gaetz may not even want to return to the House. His wife, Ginger Gaetz, reposted her statement on X about leaving the judiciary with a photo of the couple on the steps of the Capitol that read: “Time’s up.”
Being in the House also means the House Ethics Committee will have more power over him — and remove thorny questions about whether it’s appropriate to release a former member’s document. The agency investigated Gaetz as he continued to leave for years on charges of misconduct, illegal drug use and other matters. Gaetz denied the allegations, and the Justice Department declined to prosecute him after investigating related matters.
Several Republicans do not want to see Gaetz, who threw the House into chaos when he voted to impeach former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), back in the halls.
“Nobody wants him back,” one House Republican told The Hill with a laugh. “I think he can be sworn in, I mean he was elected by his district, he has all the rights. So, I don’t think we could stop him. But he is not wanted, that is true.”
“A good collection from many members of the right!” one House Republican told The Hill in response to Gaetz’s removal.
Media work
Although there are several paths Gaetz could pursue in government and politics, the Florida Republican could also pursue a career in the media — an industry he already has experience in.
Gaetz has been a constant presence on TV and other media for years, vigorously defending Trump.
In 2021, Gaetz started his own show, the “Firebrand with Matt Gaetz” podcast, where he offers a “behind-the-scenes look at the Washington soap without the spin of Fake News and Deep State influence,” according to the show’s description. explanation. According to YouTube, he just released his 173rd episode.
Gaetz once found himself sitting at the anchor desk at some warehouses. He has guest-hosted former Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, and has been a fill-in host on Newsmax.
While talking about his appointment as attorney general, Newsmax host Greg Kelly talked about the time the Florida Republican held the fort of the network’s shows.
“Matt Gaetz is a special guy. He’s incredibly smart, he’s articulate, he’s brave, he’s fearless. He’s also the occasional fill-in producer on this show. No kidding,” Kelly said, adding: “I’m so honored that we gave him his start, right? No Matt Gaetz made us happy.” with his services here at Newsmax, and he knows his stuff when he’s in the mud.”
One news anchor is predicting that Gaetz will land on the Newsmax anchor desk when all is said and done.
“I’m guessing Matt Gaetz will end up being a Newsmax host,” Aaron Rupar wrote on X.
Appointment to the Senate
Shortly after Gaetz took his name out of the ring to become attorney general, some floated the possibility that Gaetz could fill Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) Senate seat after Rubio was confirmed as Secretary of State.
Gaetz and DeSantis, who will make the decision on who will serve the rest of Rubio’s term, are former colleagues in the House. Gaetz helped prepare DeSantis in preparation for the debate when he first ran for governor in 2018.
But the two were on opposite sides in the 2024 primary. Gaetz endorsed Trump in the Republican presidential primary last year shortly before DeSantis ran against Trump.
Gaetz was not among the names floated for the position. DeSantis is said to be considering his chief of staff James Uthmeier, state Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez and state Attorney General Ashley Moody.
Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of the president, has been pressured by prominent lawmakers and has expressed interest in the position. The situation in which DeSantis appoints him to the Senate can be seen as an olive branch to the president-elect.
There will be another opportunity in the Senate in 2026 when a special election for Rubio’s seat will be held, but the situation seems to bring the same problems as the governor of the entire country.
“He’s toxic for the same reasons,” Eberhart said when asked about the possibility of Gaetz taking the Senate seat. “If he wants to come back, he has to run alone.”
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