Under normal circumstances, an investigation that concludes with accusations that its subject paid for sex with a high school girl would devastate any chance of public life. But, as Florida pollster Kevin Wagner told The Bulwark, these are not regular times.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was shut out of the top spot at the Department of Justice by Republican Senators, but that doesn't mean he has lost all political power.
While speaking over the weekend at the TalkingPoint USA conference, Gaetz teased that he might run for U.S. Senate to replace Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who is expected to vacate his seat once he is confirmed as Trump's Secretary of State.
Also Read: GOP says good riddance to Gaetz — with most refusing even to say his name
“My fellow Floridians have asked me to eye the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee, maybe special counsel to go after the insider trading for my former colleagues in Congress," said Gaetz.
“It seems I may not have had enough support in the United States Senate. Maybe I’ll just run for Marco Rubio’s vacant seat in the United States Senate and join some of those folks,” he continued.
“There was a time I would say he was done — there was a time politicians would disappear just for having an affair—but those days are gone,” Wagner, a pollster and political scientist, told The Bulwark's Marc Caputo.
“The short answer is I don’t know what happens to Matt Gaetz,” Wagner continued. “The incoming president could endorse him in 2026 and, in that case, I wouldn’t bet against him in Florida."
A Trump adviser familiar with Gaetz and Donald Trump said that "the big guy" has not made any commitments for 2026. However, it could "definitely" happen, they said.
"Matt is loyal. Matt is MAGA. But he needs to earn it like everyone else," the adviser said.
Also read: 'When I say I've got nothing, I mean I got nothing': GOP senators duck Gaetz questions
Caputo wrote that the one truism in politics is that the one way to overcome scandal is "perseverance." It would mean deploying a similar strategy used by Trump, who has faced multiple criminal accusations yet was still able to be elected president.
Gaetz continues denying the ethics report's allegations and points to the Justice Department decision not to prosecute him.