Changes

|state=Florida

|state=Florida

|district=1st

|district=1st

|terms=January 3, 2017 – present

|terms=January 3, 2017 – November 13, 2024

|preceded=[[Jeff Miller]]

|preceded=[[Jeff Miller]]

|former=n

|former=y

|succeeded=

|succeeded=vacant

}}

}}

{{Officeholder/state representative

{{Officeholder/state representative

}}

}}

'''Matthew Louis “Matt” Gaetz, II''', born May 7, 1982 (age {{age|1982|5|7}}), is a [[Republican]] U.S. representative representing [[Florida]]'s 1st congressional district since 2017.  

'''Matthew Louis “Matt” Gaetz, II''', born May 7, 1982 (age {{age|1982|5|7}}), is a former [[Republican]] U.S. representative who represented [[Florida]]'s 1st congressional district from 2017-2024.  Rep. Gaetz is one of the most courageous [[conservative]]s in [[Congress]].

Gaetz stood strong against the [[Dem]]s' politicized indictment of [[Trump]], and properly criticized the weakness by Florida Gov. [[Ron DeSantis]]:<ref>https://floridianpress.com/2023/03/gaetz-says-desantis-puts-americans-at-risk-by-not-backing-trump-against-persecution/?spot_im_redirect_source=pitc</ref>

Gaetz stood strong against the [[Dem]]s' politicized indictment of [[Trump]], and properly criticized the weakness by Florida Gov. [[Ron DeSantis]]:<ref>https://floridianpress.com/2023/03/gaetz-says-desantis-puts-americans-at-risk-by-not-backing-trump-against-persecution/?spot_im_redirect_source=pitc</ref>

He indicated in December 2020 that he would object on the [[House]] floor to the certification of [[Joe Biden]] based on [[Electoral fraud]] in the [[United States presidential election, 2020]].

He indicated in December 2020 that he would object on the [[House]] floor to the certification of [[Joe Biden]] based on [[Electoral fraud]] in the [[United States presidential election, 2020]].

Despite all of the above, Gaetz does have some liberal views on social issues. In 2015, while serving in the [[Florida]] state legislature, he sponsored a repeal on its ban on adoption by [[homosexual]]s,<ref>https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=720277.docx&DocumentType=Amendments&BillNumber=7013&Session=2015</ref>. In 2019, he defending Rep. [[Katie Hill]] (D-CA) before she resigned over a sex scandal. Gaetz also defied [[conservative]]s by voting to increase [[visa]] caps for high-skilled (i.e., high-paid) workers (2019 roll call h437).<ref>http://politicsthatwork.com/voting-record/Matt-Gaetz-412690</ref> Some of those views on social issues have since been reversed, such as when he voted against the radical Equality Act. In September of 2021, he voted with [[Democrats]] and [[RINOs]] to pass a red flag gun confiscation bill, leaving many conservatives outraged;<ref>https://welovetrump.com/2021/09/25/here-are-the-135-republicans-who-just-voted-for-red-flag-gun-confiscation/</ref><ref>https://americanfaith.com/read-the-names-135-republicans-vote-with-democrats-to-advance-red-flag-gun-confiscation-bill-as-part-of-ndaa/</ref> however, he expressed regret and successfully fought to remove them from the bill. Gaetz has otherwise remained strongly pro-Second Amendment.<ref>https://www.ontheissues.org/FL/Matt_Gaetz_Gun_Control.htm</ref> Gaetz also endorsed the idea to make President Donald J. Trump speaker of the House to reinstate the latter as the true, official and legitimate President and impeach and indict [[Joe Biden]] and [[Kamala Harris]] and other [[globalist]], [[leftist]]/[[liberal]]/[[Marxist|neo-Marxist]] and RINO criminals, conspirators, insurrectionists, parasites and traitors.<ref>https://newrepublic.com/article/164670/matt-gaetz-trump-speaker-2024</ref><ref>https://www.newsweek.com/matt-gaetz-trump-speaker-house-gorka-1681738</ref>

Despite all of the above, Gaetz does have some liberal views on social issues. In 2015, while serving in the [[Florida]] state legislature, he sponsored a repeal on its ban on adoption by [[homosexual]]s,<ref>https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=720277.docx&DocumentType=Amendments&BillNumber=7013&Session=2015</ref>. In 2019, he defending Rep. [[Katie Hill]] (D-CA) before she resigned over a sex scandal. Gaetz also defied [[conservative]]s by voting to increase [[visa]] caps for high-skilled (i.e., high-paid) workers (2019 roll call h437).<ref>http://politicsthatwork.com/voting-record/Matt-Gaetz-412690</ref> Some of those views on social issues have since been reversed, such as when he voted against the radical Equality Act. In September of 2021, he voted with [[Democrats]] and [[RINOs]] to pass a red flag gun confiscation bill, leaving many conservatives outraged;<ref>https://welovetrump.com/2021/09/25/here-are-the-135-republicans-who-just-voted-for-red-flag-gun-confiscation/</ref><ref>https://americanfaith.com/read-the-names-135-republicans-vote-with-democrats-to-advance-red-flag-gun-confiscation-bill-as-part-of-ndaa/</ref> however, he expressed regret and successfully fought to remove them from the bill. Gaetz has otherwise remained strongly pro-Second Amendment.<ref>https://www.ontheissues.org/FL/Matt_Gaetz_Gun_Control.htm</ref> Gaetz also endorsed the idea to make President Donald J. Trump speaker of the House to reinstate the latter as the true, official and legitimate President and impeach and indict [[Joe Biden]] and [[Kamala Harris]] and other [[globalist]], [[leftist]]/[[liberal]]/[[Marxist|neo-Marxist]] and RINO criminals, conspirators, insurrectionists, parasites and traitors.<ref>https://newrepublic.com/article/164670/matt-gaetz-trump-speaker-2024</ref><ref>https://www.newsweek.com/matt-gaetz-trump-speaker-house-gorka-1681738</ref> Gaetz has left 'a trail of [[antisemitic]] comments.'<ref>[https://forward.com/fast-forward/674875/trump-ag-matt-gaetz-antisemitic Trump AG nominee Matt Gaetz has left a trail of antisemitic comments], ''Forward'', Nov 12, 2024</ref>

 

 

 

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In early 2021, Gaetz was the victim of a false, baseless, malicious, and coordinated personal attack by the [[liberal media]].<ref>He was accused of taking a seventeen-year-old girl across state lines for sex, which prompted an FBI investigation. Gaetz denies these claims and has stated that they are the product of an extortion scheme targeting him and his father, former Florida State Senate President Don Gaetz https://www.businessinsider.com/matt-gaetz-sex-trafficking-extortion-investigation-explainer-timeline-2021-3. In the months prior to [[Donald Trump]]'s departure from office, Gaetz is alleged to have sought a pardon from the President, although both men have denied that such a request was ever made. https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-defends-matt-gaetz-denies-florida-congressman-asked-pardon-1581697 Meanwhile, leaked texts indicate the possibility of Israeli Embassy involvement in the alleged extortion scheme, which in turn was centered around efforts to raise money to get the now-deceased FBI agent Robert Levinson released from Iranian custody. All parties involved in the alleged scheme have denied that whatever they requested or demanded amounted to extortion; and the Israeli consulate employee involved in the scheme has claimed that he didn't know about the allegations against Gaetz until shortly before they were made public, in the process implying that he may not have been "kept entirely in the loop" about the situation. https://www.theamericanconservative.com/state-of-the-union/leaked-texts-from-israeli-consular-official-show-more-details-in-gaetz-levinson-funding-scheme/</ref>  Gaetz's accusation of attempted extortion was later corroborated.<ref>https://www.dailywire.com/news/media-for-months-reported-on-matt-gaetz-investigation-without-evidence-gaetzs-claims-of-extortion-were-just-corroborated-however</ref>

Gaetz's wife, Ginger, is the sister of [[Palmer Luckey]], inventor of the Oculus Rift (the first commercially viable set of [[virtual reality]] goggles) and founder of defense start-up company [[Anduril Industries]].  

==References==

==References==

{{conservatism}}

{{conservatism}}

{{Nationalism}}

{{Nationalism}}

[[Category:United States Representatives]]

[[Category:Former United States Representatives]]

[[Category:Republicans]]

[[Category:Republicans]]

[[Category:115th United States Congress]]

[[Category:115th United States Congress]]

[[Category:Victims of Cancel Culture]]

[[Category:Victims of Cancel Culture]]

[[Category:Pro Second Amendment]]

[[Category:Pro Second Amendment]]