An investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz and potential crimes related to the sex trafficking of a minor and prostitution began under the Trump Administration and the William Barr Department of Justice. Gaetz is crying “witch hunt”, a tired line from the Trump playbook for dodging accountability of wrongdoing. Evidence is being gathered through an investigation of Joel Greenberg, a local Florida politician and friend of Gaetz who is in jail charged with sex trafficking, bribery, stalking, and embezzlement. Both Greenberg and Gaetz are suspected of contacting women from “sugar daddy” websites where women looking for men who give them cash and gifts for sex.
Gaetz is unpopular among his colleagues due to his unseemly behaviors of bragging about sexual conquests and showing nude photos of women on the floor of the House. Gaetz exhibits traits similar to narcissistic, misogynistic men such as a grandiose sense of their appeal to women, general aggressiveness, arrogance, and a hunger for power and attention. News flash Mr. Gaetz! You’re Not The Lady Magnet You Imagine You Are! He is denying all claims against him, lawyering up, and refusing to resign from office. Like Trump, Gaetz and countless other men accused of or guilty of sexual aggression against women, claim their innocence while their patterns indicate culpability.
Gaetz is a younger version of Trump on many levels. His social persona relies heavily on the sexual conquests of women. Trump famously bragged on Access Hollywood to ” grabbing women by the pussy.” Additionally, during an interview with Howard Stern, he admitted to routinely entering the dressing areas at his beauty contests to watch the contestants get dressed. Un- disclosed congressmen have revealed Gaetz showed nude photos of women he had sex with and he did this sordid behavior on the floor of the House. Gaetz, like Trump, travels in circles with men known for criminal behavior or low character and heightened sexualizing of women.
There is more organized Republican opposition to Trump and his clones like Gaetz than there is organized resistance by Democrats. Traditional Republican groups such as The Lincoln Project, Real Americans, and Republican Action Pact have organized campaigns to direct Republican voters back to the conservative values of the traditional GOP. What is missing in opposition to politicians like Gaetz is a full-throated congressional Republican resistance movement. Congresswoman Liz Cheney, Former Ohio Governor John Kasich, Senator Mitt Romney, Senator Ben Sasse, and Rep. Adam Kinzinger have all publicly opposed the white supremacists, Qanon, disinformation Trump-wing of their party, however, they have not formulated a movement competitive enough to mute the poisonous messaging of Trumpism. Maybe they need to employ a professional brander to help return the base to sanity and true patriotism.
