Three days have been enough to elevate his figure to levels that not even he himself could suspect. Matt Gaetz He will be remembered as the congressman who managed to expel Kevin McCarthy of the position of president of the House of Representatives, something that had not happened in the history of the United States. Before, he was already known for his incendiary rhetoric, his fidelity to the ideology about trump and its ability to create disputes in Congress, a Castelar of the extreme right become leader of the radical wing that has plunged the country into chaos Capitol.
In the debate prior to the vote that cost McCarthy his job, he showed what he is capable of. He called the former president a “swamp creature,” someone who has come to power by “raising money from special interests.”and redistributing it in exchange for favors”, with boos even from his own bench. He seems to care little, leader of about twenty Republicans who until now have shown more interest in boycotting measures than in approving them.
Despite its bad reputation in Washingtonwhere even his party colleagues call him a charlatan, Gaetz has not lost a bit of his popularity in the district he represents in northern Florida, including the western part of the so-called Panhandle. In the last elections, he beat his rival, Democrat Rebekah Jones, by almost 36 points, despite being investigated for a sex trafficking case in which he was accused of having had relations with a minor and of having tried to recruit to women on the internet for a sexual exploitation network.
The investigation, which ended up airing embarrassing aspects of his private life, was closed in a favorable way for Gaetz, without criminal charges against him. Issues were aired such as the arrest of two women who threw drinks in the face of the congressman from Hollywood, Florida, further damaging his reputation.
However, there are many analysts who suspect that his rebellion in Congress could have a favorable effect on his interests. Mark Lombardo, the Republican who tried to take his seat in the last primary, believes that Gaetz is a beloved man in his district because of his family connections – his father, Don Gaetz, is a millionaire businessman and former president of the Florida Senate – and his unconditional dedication to Trump as one of his main allies in Congress.