He knew what was coming
Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz Considering Giving Up Congress for Newsmax Gig: Report
By
Marisa SarnoffMar 30th, 2021, 1:07 pm
222 comments
Photo credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Firebrand Florida Republican representative
Matt Gaetz is reportedly considering leaving Congress to join right-wing network Newsmax, according to an Axios
report Tuesday.
Three sources with direct knowledge told Axios that Gaetz has “privately told confidants he’s seriously considering not seeking re-election and possible leaving Congress early for a job at Newsmax.”
According to the report, Gaetz has told some of his allies he is “interested in becoming a media personality,” (albeit one who has made some
questionable choices while on live TV), and indicated that he would take a role at Newsmax.
“One of the sources said Gaetz has had early conversations with the network about what a position could look like,” the story also said.
The Axios report said that Gaetz has previously considered running for higher office, and noted that “a prominent spot in the media could give Gaetz a platform for a future national political role.”
Gaetz has been an outspoken
supporter of
Donald Trump and has gone after those seen as
not loyal enough to the former president. He has also
perpetuated baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, and claimed that the Jan. 6
attack by Trump supporters on the U.S. Capitol was actually led by “
Antifa.”
Since Fox News
called Arizona on election night for President
Joe Biden – a move that was both
accurate and
infuriating to
Trump and his supporters – some viewers
turned to Newsmax. The far-right network has
grown in popularity among Republican viewers, although ratings seem to have
normalized since
January, after a
spike in December 2020.