PRAYING ON IT

Matt Gaetz Says He Can Win Florida Governorship Despite Sex Scandals

The disgraced congressman said he is “starting to think about running” for governor in 2026.

Disgraced congressman turned talking head Matt Gaetz is considering a run at the Florida governor’s mansion. The MAGA diehard left Washington after the House Ethics Committee found “substantial evidence” he paid a 17-year-old girl for sex, used illegal drugs, and accepted improper gifts. Gaetz has denied the claims and said he was the victim of a smear campaign. In November, President-elect Donald Trump tapped Gaetz as his nominee for attorney general, only for Gaetz to withdraw soon after over the ethics scandal. Last week, he debuted a news show on One America News Network but isn’t ready to hang up his political hat. Gaetz is “starting to think about running for governor in 2026,” when incumbent Ron DeSantis will be term-limited out, he told the Tampa Bay Times. He had floated the idea in December at the Turning Point USA conference—where he also hinted at a possible Senate run—but now appears to be considering it more seriously, though he said he still needs more time to pray on it and talk to his wife, Ginger. Asked whether he thought being accused of paying a minor for sex would hurt his chances, he said, “Those lies have been told about me for years. They’ve never affected my ability to win elections.”