If this rumor is true, he will be missed on the Hill. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) may not run for re-election in 2022. The Florida Republican is one of President Trump’s biggest defenders. He has been the primary vehicle for destroying the Democratic Party’s Russiagate narrative and the shoddy impeachment push directed at the Trump White House over the past few years. Gaetz also condemned traitors in the Republican Party. He’s the attack dog we need, but he may want to leave Congress and pursue another issue: the media.
Axios had the knowledge. Mr. Gaetz might want to expand his reach even further by becoming a Newsmax media personality. That’s the rumor. The publication states that there are three sources that can confirm this claim, but we all know how anonymous sources have turned out to be over the years. The days of Woodward, Bernstein, Deep Throat, and late-night meetings in Rosslyn parking lots where the Washington Post provided solid, reliable coverage of the Nixon administration are over. But I’ve seen Gaetz do it. As Fox News angers its viewers for apparently dwindling, lesser-known networks have a chance to gain some popularity (via Axles):
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has privately told trusted sources that he is seriously considering not running for re-election and possibly leaving Congress early to take a job at Newsmax, three sources with direct knowledge of the talks tell Axios.
Why it matters: Gaetz is a provocative figure on the right who is attracting attention because he is a fierce defender of former President Trump. The Republican also represents a politically powerful district in South Florida.
What we hear: Gaetz has told some of his allies that he would like to be a media personality and has offered to take a role at Newsmax.
One source said Gaetz has previously talked to the network about what the position might look like.
Background: Many Republicans turned to the network after Fox News earlier called Arizona about President Biden.
Some critics now say Fox isn’t conservative enough for their tastes, which clears the way for Newsmax and One America News Network (OANN).
Gaetz has previously considered running for higher office.
I know he’s not the GOP favorite at all, but former Republican congressman and Ohio governor John Kasich hosted “Heartland” on Fox News for years. For much of the 2000s, Kasich worked behind the desk of a Fox News host. In 2007, he resigned from this position and decided to return to public life, which he did when he was elected governor of Ohio in 2010.
I’m not saying Gaetz and Kasich are the same. They are not. I just want to point out that former members of Congress have already chosen this path.
