Matt Gaetz – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Phil Mistry
Despite his brief run for attorney general, former Representative Matt Gaetz seems to be aiming for another significant professional advancement.
Florida State Representative Anthony Sabatini predicted that Gaetz will be the future governor of Florida in a tweet on Saturday, which he shared on X. Gaetz sent Sabatini a gif of the state flag of Florida in response.
Following his appointment as attorney general by President-elect Donald Trump, Gaetz resigned from Congress in November.
However, that bid quickly soured as Gaetz was involved in new scandal, including the latest information in an ongoing probe into sex trafficking. In 2023, the DOJ decided not to press charges against Gaetz, but the House Ethics Committee kept looking into the claims.
Shortly after they reached out to him for comment on a claim that he had a sexual encounter with a 17-year-old at a party in 2017, CNN said on Thursday that Gaetz has withdrawn from consideration.
Gaetz has denied any misconduct in the encounter and the sex-trafficking investigation. But on Thursday afternoon, he pulled out of the running for the position of attorney general.
“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz stated on X on Thursday.
Trump remarked on Truth Social after Gaetz’s withdrawal that he valued Gaetz’s “efforts.”
“He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect,” said Trump.
“Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” Trump went on.
In the meantime, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida will step down in 2026. Once a Trump protégé, DeSantis irritated his former employer when he began a brief, Elon Musk-backed presidential campaign against Trump.
Following Jeb Bush’s victory in the 1998 gubernatorial election, Florida has had a steady succession of Republican governors.
If Gaetz decides to run for governor in 2026, it’s unclear what his chances would be. Gaetz, who was elected in November to represent Florida’s first congressional district, stated this week that he has no plans to return to the 119th Congress, but he is currently looking for a new position.
“I will continue to fight, but it will be from a different angle,” Gaetz said last week to conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk.
Gaetz stated that he is not embarking on a “tropical excursion” for the remainder of his life, saying, “It seems like a pretty poetic time to allow that great new blood to come in, to allow my district to have high-quality representation.”
Like his old coworker George Santos, he appears to be enjoying some downtime at the moment by fishing, spending time with his wife Ginger, and earning money by creating Cameo films.
A request for comment from Business Insider was not immediately answered by Gaetz.
Stories that matter are our priority. At Florida Insider, we make sure that the information we provide our readers is accurate, easy-to-read, and informative. Whether you are interested in business, education, government, history, sports, real estate, nature or travel: we have something for everyone. Follow along for the best stories in the Sunshine State.
Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
