Exclusive excerpt from Matt Gaetz’s forthcoming book, ‘Firebrand’

Representing Florida’s 1st Congressional District, the reddest in the state. 37-year-old Matt Gaetz has cultivated an in-your-face style, a flair for the dramatic — and a bromance with President Donald Trump. 

All of which is front-and-center in his new book, “Firebrand,” subtitled “Dispatches from the Front Lines of the MAGA Revolution,” which goes on sale Sept. 22.

Florida Politics has been offered a sneak peek at three chapters from Gaetz’s new book, to be highlighted in the coming weeks. Today, we delve into his thoughts on the media in Chapter Five, titled “Enemy of the People.”

Among the highlights:

— “President Trump called the media the “enemy of the people” one month after taking the oath of office. He set off four years of the media pretending to be afraid that Trump would gut the First Amendment and censor any news he didn’t like. Trump didn’t have to censor the press to expose their stupidity. He prefers jousting with them to show just how dumb they can be.”

— “To make [the] news, you must break rules and above all be interesting. President Trump is nothing if not interesting. He makes the news because he breaks the news. He doesn’t worry the public will be offended by him because he knows that the American people are already mad as hell and aren’t going to take it anymore.”

— “This is conscious, paid-for propaganda. And ultimately, the target isn’t Trump. It’s you. The media want to mislead you. They really are your enemy, and they are armed and very dangerous.”

— “Fox News continues to benefit from the talent choices made by (the late Roger) Ailes. Sean Hannity provided the pivotal platform to deliver the facts, winning nightly ratings during the most critical moments of the Trump presidency. Judge Jeanine (Pirro) drove home key themes weekly. Tucker Carlson mocked the absurd claims of the opposition with biting zest. Laura Ingraham set debate panels that were critical to win nightly. Martha MacCallum offered a newsy chance to get information into the bloodstream. Lou Dobbs attacked Republicans who wandered. Each piece was vital to success in its own way.”