Drew Dixon
Former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz openly mused this weekend about seeking Florida’s U.S. Senate seat that is about to be vacated by Marco Rubio who is seeking confirmation as President-elect Donald Trump’s secretary of state.
Gaetz, who resigned his District 1 congressional seat that represents Florida’s Panhandle area, was speaking at the conservative Turning Point Action’s AmericaFest event this weekend in Phoenix, Arizona. He attacked congressional leaders for what he described as foot dragging on many of Trump’s suggested cabinet picks. Gaetz himself withdrew from Trump’s nomination for U.S. Attorney General.
Gaetz was ruminating in the speech that he was miffed at some of the responses to former U.S. Rep. Tolsi Gabbard’s nomination for National Intelligence Director. At that point, he floated the idea of replacing Rubio in the Senate.
“Many have asked which perch I will be fighting from,” Gaetz said before a crowd in Phoenix. “Maybe I’ll just run for Marco Rubio’s vacant seat in the United States Senate and join some of those folks.”
The crowd cheered his suggestion.
It’s not clear how serious Gaetz was when he expressed his thoughts.
While the controversial far-right Republican voluntarily resigned from his congressional seat and withdrew his name for consideration for the Attorney General position, he did so as U.S. House members were concluding an ethics investigation on his conduct. Some members of Congress, such as House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said the report should not be made public because Gaetz had resigned.
But unknown to many lawmakers, the members of the House Ethics Committee secretly voted to release the content of that investigative report which supposedly details the sexual conduct and illicit drug use of Gaetz.
Gaetz has said he acknowledged he had some personal foibles when he was younger. But he denied he did anything illegal.
The report has not been disclosed yet.
2 comments
KathrynA
December 22, 2024 at 3:03 pm
Just forget it, Matt Gaetz! The state of Florida is so over you!
Larry Gillis, Libertarian (Cape Coral)
December 22, 2024 at 3:51 pm
As a grateful, recovering trial lawyer, I know the importance of believing in yourself. Without that, it is sometimes utterly impossible to simply get out of bed. So, that part I get. Still, reality must be dealt with. I hope you know what you are doing. So, with all due disclaimers, good luck.