Why hasn't Trump openly defended Matt Gaetz yet? Ex-POTUS and close circle not fond of 'unserious person'
Donald Trump, who has publicly vouched for and offered well wishes and support to the likes of Kim Jong Un, Kyle Rittenhouse, Ghislaine Maxwell and Vladimir Putin, is yet to defend disgraced congressman Matt Gaetz. Ever since The New York Times exposed the shocking realities of Gaetz's sex life and the federal investigation going on about it, Trump has said but two lines about Gaetz and none of that was leaning in his defense.
Sources close to the ex-President told Politico that anybody acquainted with Gaetz would be aware of what an 'unserious person' he is. This comes after The Times reported Gaetz was facing federal investigation for violating sex trafficking laws via his friend Joel Greenberg. In their story, The Times notes that Gaetz paid, or had Joel pay for him, to have sex with underage women, one of them allegedly 17 at the time. The investigation against Gaetz opened after his friend, Greenberg was prosecuted for sex trafficking, and Venmo cash transaction records revealed Gaetz had paid Greenberg several times using the app, for at least three different women.
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In his defense, Gaetz, who's been nothing short of a Trump fanboy so far, has insinuated that he likes to pay for things when it comes to his women, albeit denying the underage factor. Gaetz told Jonathan Swan, “I have definitely, in my single days, provided for women I’ve dated. You know, I’ve paid for flights, for hotel rooms. I’ve been, you know, generous as a partner. I think someone is trying to make that look criminal when it is not.”
But a week after the scandal broke out, and Gaetz tried to salvage his reputation by a Tucker Carlson interview that was heavily criticized, Trump addressed the issue with respect to a New York Times post. The publication reported that Gaetz had asked for a pardon, but all Trump said in response was the statement that "it must all be remembered that he has totally denied the accusations against him." And it's not just Trump who's not siding with Gaetz in this mess, Politico reveals nobody from the 45th POTUS's close orbit is defending Gaetz either.
“Not a lot of people are surprised,” Politico quotes such an insider sharing on April 6 about the predicament Gaetz has landed in. They added: "Anyone that has ever spent 10 minutes with the guy (Gaetz) would realize he's an unserious person." This, in the wake of Gaetz offering to quit the congress to join Trump's impeachment defense, might seem odd but Politico reveals that Gaetz has a reputation for being 'a grenade whose pin had already been pulled. Alleging a 'wild personal lifestyle' that many would consider 'reckless', Politico's sources reveal that the exchange of embarrassing videos of Gaetz was common amidst other GOP operatives too.
Some cited the recent Carlson interview that left the FOX News presenter looking baffled. "The reason you haven't seen people in MAGA world defending Gaetz is less about him being unpopular, which he is in a lot of circles, and more about the fact that he hasn't done a single thing to make people comfortable to defend him. His interview with Tucker was an absolutely embarrassing train wreck," another source told Politico. Some also thought of Gaetz as a 'leaker' during Trump's time in the office, alleging that he used his association with the then president to benefit his career.
In his own defense, through the conservative-leaning Washington Examiner, Gaetz wrote in an op-ed: “You’ll see more “drip, drip, drip” of leaks into the media from the corrupt Justice Department and others. When you do, ask yourself why. They aren’t coming for me—they are coming for you. I’m just in the way.” Gaetz also stated he would not be stepping down from Congress, and compared his situation to those of Trump and Brett Kavanaugh — both of whom have sexual abuse allegations against them.