Embattled Florida representative Matt Gaetz continues to tour the country with Marjorie Taylor Green and deny any acknowledgement of the failed MAGA coup in Washington on January 6. He’s a busy guy, and apparently that may also include a run for president if Donald Trump doesn’t get in the way.
According to the New York Post, Gaetz remains undeterred by the probe into his sexual misconduct with a minor, saying that he himself will run for president on the Republican ticket as long as Trump does not.
“I support Donald Trump for president. I’ve directly encouraged him to run and he gives me every indication he will,” the Florida Republican texted The Post Wednesday. “If Trump doesn’t run, I’m sure I could defeat whatever remains of Joe Biden by 2024.”
Gaetz, who said he hasn’t formally launched an exploratory committee, is facing a federal investigation into allegations of sex trafficking of a minor, a sexual relationship with a minor and potential public corruption in addition to a Congressional Ethics investigation. He has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Despite that denial, there are new developments in that probe that’s reportedly included payments for sex with a minor, potential trafficking and drug use. There’s also the reported confession letter his former partner in alleged crimes may have written out as part of an attempt to get a pardon from Trump. That man, Joel Greenberg, pled guilty to charges last week and there’s speculation about what he told authorities to get that plea deal in the first place.
There’s also a local news report about yacht money that Gaetz claimed money to buy a boat named Thirsty “went missing” before a deal could go through, news that broke on Thursday as well.
According to a spokesperson for Gaetz, he and his fiancé, Ginger Luckey, were “targeted by malicious actors” during the purchase process of a St. Petersburg yacht. Follow-up questions about the transaction and clarification of the statement have not been answered.
In other words there seems to be a lot happening for Gaetz these days, so maybe talking publicly about a run for president is a bit premature for him. Who knows where he will be in 2024.