Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) appears before the House Rules Committee in Washington, DC on September 22. Gaetz presented a Motion to Vacate House speaker Kevin McCarthy, which led to the first removal of a Speaker in American History.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
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Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) appears before the House Rules Committee in Washington, DC on September 22. Gaetz presented a Motion to Vacate House speaker Kevin McCarthy, which led to the first removal of a Speaker in American History.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Gaetz, who led the hardline Republicans in fighting against funding for the government, and criticizing McCarthy for the deal he made to avoid a shutdown of the government, delivered a Motion To Vacate. This is the procedural resolution which can remove a Speaker from this position. Gaetz, despite the harsh criticism from his Republican colleagues and after the historic vote that removed Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his post in the House of Representatives, remained defiant. “I think this is the ripping of the bandaid, and that’s the thing we have to to get back to track,” Gaetz told reporters outside the Capitol after the vote on Tuesday. This is a view that’s not shared by many in his party. However, in his district of northwest Florida it’s quite the opposite.
This file photo shows former Florida State Sen. Don Gaetz (R), left, hugging his son, former Florida State Rep. Matt Gaetz (R), after Matt was sworn into the house as the newest Member of the House on April 15, 2010 in Tallahassee.
Steve Cannon/ASSOCIATED Press
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In the photo above, Don Gaetz (left), former Florida state senator, embraces his son Matt Gaetz (right), former state representative, after Matt was sworn into the Florida House of Representatives on April 15, 2010.
Steve Cannon/ASSOCIATED Press
Matt Gaetz is a Florida politician who has been making waves for many years. He was elected to the Florida legislature for the first time at age 31. In 2016, he won a seat in the US Congress. Nikki Fried is the chair of Florida’s Democratic Party. She remembers an early high school student who was already stirring up trouble. She was a college student when Gaetz participated in a debate. These are Matt Gaetz’s patterns. “
His constituencies don’t seem bothered by his long-honed political style. Gaetz’s Congressional District on Florida’s Panhandle is among the most Republican districts in the state. Since his first term in Congress, he has won reelection with ease. Renee Johnmeyer, a conservative Republican in Gaetz’s district, says that they started to believe Gaetz was only talking and doing nothing. Johnmeyer, who is active in Gaetz’s district and the Santa Rosa County Republican Party in that area, said: “I felt like it was a lot of word service.” She expressed her skepticism at a restaurant where a club was meeting. However, his actions in the last week won him much goodwill from her. She said, “I was pleased to see him step out and do something which will move the Party in a new direction.” Gaetz was the subject of mixed emotions before this event. Sharon Hawthorne is a local Republican Party member who explained. I liked some of the things he did. Some of his actions I liked, but others I did not. “But I love that he stood up for us.” Hawthorne stated, “I feel that this is the best possible thing for Republicans, Democrats and America.”
His own brand of Republican politics
Gaetz is no stranger to national media attention, though he often made headlines as more of a troll on Democrats, like when he wore a full gas mask on the floor of the House during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and Democrats’ public health measures. Gaetz led a breach of the facility that held impeachment hearings against Donald Trump, during his first impeachment. Gaetz’s initial bid to become speaker of the 118th Congress was against Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy had to go through 15 voting rounds before he received enough votes to be elected speaker. Gaetz did not vote for him once. Gaetz, a Trump ally and supporter, has been by Trump’s side ever since. Adam Cayton is a political science professor at the University of West Florida. He believes that this style of politics works well for today’s GOP. Cayton said that Cayton’s style of politics is “
aggressive, bombastic and conservative. He doesn’t shy from public conflict.” Cayton explained that he is tapping into the same feeling that propelled Donald Trump to leadership in the Republican Party. “
This Oct. 2019 file photo shows President Donald Trump (right), accompanied by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), left, arriving at Nationals Park, Washington, for the Game 5 of World Series Baseball between the Houston Astros vs. Washington Nationals.
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In this file photo from Oct. 2019, President Donald Trump and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), left, arrive at Nationals Park, Washington, for the Game 5 of World Series Baseball between the Houston Astros vs. Washington Nationals.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Gaetz’s supporters back home aren’t certain that his actions will pay off for either him or them. “It could be a big risk for him. I’m glad that he did. Patty Burke stated that, in her opinion, the less Congress does, the better it is for Americans. She has been involved in local GOP politics for over 20 years, and she’s followed Gaetz’s political career. She’s concerned that the Republican Party may now be perceived as one in chaos. George Oedsma, another Republican who attended the Santa Rosa County Meeting is more concerned about the Democrats’ control in Washington than his own party. “For many years now, Republicans have been told that we must compromise. “But whenever we compromise, they get what they want and we get nothing,” Oedsma stated. It just seems to be the same thing over and again. As for whether Gaetz’s actions will payoff? What now? He has stated that he does not want to be speaker. As a polarizing figure within his own party, it is unlikely that he could get the votes to be the speaker.
The House must choose its next leader before any further legislative business can be done. Even with the 45 day continuing resolution that gives Congress more time for funding the government, another potential shutdown is just around the corner. Gaetz will not budge from his conservative stance on funding the government. First congressional district has more federal workers than any other district of Florida. It also contains a number military installations that account for more federal spending. For retired Marine Stan Jandura who was also at the Santa Rosa County Republican Party Meeting, this should not be considered. He supports Gaetz’s tactics regarding government spending and the removal of McCarthy. “It’s just a colloquial shutdown term,” said
. Jandura explained that it’s not really a shutdown. “Govt employees will still get their checks once the government reopens. Who is it that this hurts? It’s the party up there that suffers. It hurts the political party that is up there. The election in 2026 is not until then, and there are precedents for candidates who look like Gaetz to do well statewide.
“It is worth remembering that the current Governor, Adam Cayton, was a Tea Party Republican who had an anti-establishment platform,” Adam Cayton said. Ron DeSantis is a former congressman who served three terms. Gaetz is laser-focused on changing Congress for the moment. Gaetz stated that he knows who he works for and it is not Washington D.C.