Paul Ryan called Matt Gaetz nothing more than an entertainer after he freaked out over his 'special relationship' with Trump

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) had a freakout after White House staffers didn't recognize his "special relationship" with President Donald Trump. The incident prompted former Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) to express his disgust with his fellow Republican.

In the newly released book American Carnage, Politico Magazine reporter Tim Alberta described an incident with White House staff where Gaetz implied that Trump's people clearly didn't know how important he was.

"By the summer of 2018, Gaetz was on the president's speed-dialing list, talking with him regularly by phone and receiving constant feedback after his Fox News hits. This was not enough. The Florida congressman grew upset during one meeting with staff from the White House's Office for Legislative Affairs, dressing them down for not recognizing his 'special relationship' with Trump. Gaetz argued that he should be getting more one-on-one time with the president. Not long after, he was aboard Air Force One for Trump's latest trip to Florida.

"Gaetz had discovered a new path to power and influence for a freshman member of Congress. It was good for him but terrible for the institution of Congress -- and for the Republican Party."

That was where Ryan stepped in to comment about the Florida official's lack of seriousness as a lawmaker.

"Matt Gaetz is not a legislator," Ryan said, according to the book while shaking his head. "He's an entertainer."

You can read the full excerpt below: