Disgraced ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) urged Republicans to support House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), posting to X on Monday that resistance was "now futile".
Gaetz's pronouncement came shortly after President-elect Donald Trump officially endorsed Johnson's bid to keep his job. The embattled speaker faces a contentious leadership vote on Jan. 3 after angering some members of his party with his handling of the federal budget, which finally passed the House this month after two failed votes that nearly caused a government shutdown.
Some MAGA Republicans accused Johnson of capitulating to Democrats by including too much pork in the final deal.
"Trump endorsing Johnson is 'art of the deal' level practicality," Gaetz wrote. "We could never have held up McCarthy two years ago for concessions if a Trump certification hung in the balance. Now, it does. We were able to hold up McCarthy because Republican voters weren’t all that eager to see us getting back to being Biden’s b---h (which Kevin ultimately did anyway). The resistance to @SpeakerJohnson is now futile. Let’s work to make him the best version of himself (which was more like the 2023 vintage of Mike)."
During his term, Gaetz was responsible for ousting Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the House speakership, eventually paving the way for Johnson to take the leadership role.
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Trump posted his support to Truth Social Monday, writing, "Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man. He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!”
Gaetz resigned from Congress in November to become Trump's nominee for attorney general. With ethics concerns swirling and a lack of support in the Senate, Gaetz dropped out of contention a week later, saying his nomination was "unfairly becoming a distraction".
Days before Christmas, the House released an ethics report on Gaetz, alleging that as a congressman he paid tens of thousands of dollars to women — and an underage girl — for sex or drugs on multiple occasions. He is expected to begin hosting "The Matt Gaetz Show" on conservative One America News beginning in January.