About

Matt Gaetz is an American conservative congressman representing Florida's 1st District who's commonly regarded as a proponent of far-right politics. During his tenure, he has been involved in numerous controversies, many of which became prominently featured online. He is the subject of a sexual misconduct scandal for allegedly sex trafficking a minor. On numerous other occasions, he has been the subject of internet discourse and memes for his actions and history. In 2023, he notably spearheaded the removal of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House.

History

Gaetz served in the Florida state legislature from 2016 until getting elected to the United States Congress in the 2016 election.^[1] In his first year in Congress, he generated headlines for being the only member of the House to vote against an anti-human trafficking bill.^[2] He has been a staunch supporter of Donald Trump and is part of Congress' far-right Freedom Caucus.

Controversies

Sexual Misconduct Investigation

The Matt Gaetz sexual misconduct investigation pertains to the ongoing inquiry conducted by the Department of Justice, beginning in March 2021, focusing on allegations that the Congressman engaged in a sexual relationship with a minor and violated sex trafficking laws by financing her travel.^[4] Gaetz vehemently denied these allegations, suggesting that they were part of a criminal extortion plot involving a former DOJ official. This controversy generated significant attention on social media, with some critics dubbing him "Rapey McForehead."

Movement to Oust Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker

In 2023, Gaetz was a staunch opponent of the House Speakership of Republican Kevin McCarthy. In the initial election for House Speaker, he was among the Republicans who refused to vote for McCarthy, much to the frustration of his colleagues, only conceding when McCarthy made him unknown promises.

In September 2023, the government appeared headed for a shutdown as they could not pass a spending bill that would keep the government operating. Gaetz publicly laid the blame for this solely on McCarthy.

However, at the eleventh hour, McCarthy introduced a stopgap bill that a majority of Democrats voted for and 90 Republicans voted against. This led Gaetz to say he would put forth a resolution to vacate McCarthy as House Speaker. On October 3rd, Gaetz and seven other Republicans voted for the bill, as did every Democrat, leading to the removal of McCarthy as House Speaker. ^[3]

Related Memes

Gaetz's Son Nestor

Matt Gaetz's Son Nestor Reveal refers to a post by Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz in which he surprisingly introduced the world to his 18-year-old adopted son Nestor, who Gaetz says he adopted from Cuba when Nestor was 12. The tweet led to skepticism if Gaetz's story was the truth, as well as parodies wherein people would post Gaetz's text and add a humorous photo.

On June 17th, 2020, during a marathon hearing from the House Judiciary Committee on police brutality, Louisana Congressman Clarence Richmond spoke in an attempt to focus the debate on police brutality when Republican members were attempting to bring up Antifa. Richmond stated that as a Black person, his white male colleagues could not understand the pain in his community caused by police brutality. Gaetz asked if Richmond was implying that none of the Republican colleagues had non-white children. Richmond replied, "I’m not about to get sidetracked about the color of our children. … It is not about the color of your kids. It is about black males, black people in the streets that are getting killed, and if one of them happens to be your kid, I’m concerned about him, too, and clearly, I’m more concerned about him than you are." This made Gaetz irate.

"Who in the hell do you think you are?"FIERY: Rep. Cedric Richmond and Rep. Matt Gaetz spar during House debate pic.twitter.com/oIpBFfGa2N

— The Hill (@thehill) June 18, 2020

The following day, Gaetz explained his explosive reaction by revealing he had an 18-year-old son named Nestor, whom Gaetz claims to have adopted from Cuba when Nestor was 12. His tweet read, "For all those wondering, this is my son Nestor. We share no blood but he is my life. He came from Cuba (legally, of course) six years ago and lives with me in Florida. I am so proud of him and raising him has been the best, most rewarding thing I’ve done in my life."

Gaetz and Jim Jordan's Beavis and Butthead Photo

Matt Gaetz and Jim Jordan "Beavis and Butt-head" Photo is an image macro of United States Congressional Representatives Matt Gaetz and Jim Jordan. Due to their style of dress and body language, many compared the pair to various pop culture figures, including the cartoon characters Beavis and Butthead, as well as characters from various gangster and crime movies.

Search Interest

External References