The Dictatorship
Matt Gaetz’s new gig as right-wing TV show host makes total sense
Former Rep. Matt Gaetzwhose political career was dramatically upended in the past month, has lined up a new gig as a political talk show host on the conservative One America News Network (OAN).
The network, announced on Tuesday that “The Matt Gaetz Show” will run every weeknight starting in January 2025. Gaetz will also begin co-hosting a podcast with OAN’s Dan Ball, which will cater to a younger audience next year, the network said.
Gaetz’s pivot to right-wing talk show host is not totally out of left field; the former congressman has a reputation for pushing baseless claims about the Jan. 6 attack, insulting his opponents, and stirring up drama with his colleagues.
News of his latest gig follows a tumultuous few weeks in his career. In mid-November, President-elect Donald Trump sent shockwaves throughout Washington, D.C., when he announced he would nominate the Florida Republican as his attorney general.
Gaetz, who was being investigated by the House Ethics Committee at the time, abruptly resigned from Congress after Trump’s announcement, effectively ending the panel’s jurisdiction over him.
But the ethics investigation remained an issue for Gaetz, and his former House colleagues were divided along party lines about whether or not to release the ethics report on the probe. (A separate Justice Department investigationinto allegations thatGaetz engaged in sex trafficking ended last year without any charges being brought against him. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.)
As the pressure over the report’s release grew, Gaetz withdrew from consideration for attorney general. He subsequently said he would not join the new Congressdespite having easily won re-election in November.
Gaetz has not appeared to have completely abandoned his political aspirations, however. He has amplified a follower’s suggestion on social media that he run for governor of Florida, even though he has publicly denied that he was interested in the position.
In the meantime, Gaetz seems intent on staying in the spotlight, judging by his recent moves. Aside from his upcoming job as a talk show host, he joined the platform Cameo two weeks ago, making personalized videos for fans for hundreds of dollars apiece.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking/trending news blogger for BLN Digital. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.