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Matt Gaetz says he doesn't plan to rejoin Congress after withdrawing as Trump's pick for attorney general
NBC News ^ | 11/22/24 | Rebecca Shabad

Posted on 11/22/2024 11:25:50 AM PST by CFW

WASHINGTON — Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said Friday that he doesn't plan to rejoin Congress after he withdrew his name from consideration to be President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general amid sexual misconduct allegations.

"I'm still going to be in the fight, but it's going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress," Gaetz said in an interview with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

“There are a number of fantastic Floridians who stepped up to run for my seat, people who have inspired with their heroism, with their public service. And I’m actually excited to see Northwest Florida go to new heights and have great representation,” he added.

Gaetz, who was first elected to Florida’s state House when he was 28 years old, noted he has been in elected office for 14 years,

“I’m 42 now, and I’ve got other goals in life that I’m eager to pursue — my wife and my family — and so I’m going to be fighting for President Trump," he said. "I’m going to be doing whatever he asks of me, as I always have. But I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress.”

[snip]

"We need a leadership structure under President Trump that’s going to allow for durability of our movement and the ability to continue this great realignment of our politics, and so I’ll play a part in that," he said. "I plan to be a big voice, but maybe not as an elected member of the government."

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: congress; election; gaetz; pastcaughtup; trump
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This is strange. He just ran for re-election and won.

However, he may have had a Plan A and a Plan B.

In Plan A -- Run for re-election knowing he'd win and if Harris won he could be a part of keeping her policies from being passed in the House. Plan B -- run for re-election and if Trump wins, step down knowing that a special election would put another conservative in that seat so nothing lost and he could play another part in the "resistance"

I'm wondering what part he is going to play in Trump's administration? The entire theater of him being nominated as AG seems to have been a head-fake of some type. It's going to be interesting to see how this plays out.

1 posted on 11/22/2024 11:25:50 AM PST by CFW
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To: CFW
Senator Gaetz [R-FL].

Man they love him in his District.

2 posted on 11/22/2024 11:29:40 AM PST by StAnDeliver (TrumpII)
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To: StAnDeliver

That was my thought too — U.S. Senate.


3 posted on 11/22/2024 11:31:04 AM PST by Blurb2350 (posted from my 1500-watt blow dryer)
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To: CFW

The entire theater of him being nominated as AG seems to have been a head-fake of some type“

We’d like to think so but l doubt it. I think Thunes rino brigade let it be known there were 6-8 hard no votes that could not be moved.


4 posted on 11/22/2024 11:31:25 AM PST by iamgalt
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Putting on my tinfoil hat, was this a Machiavellian move to get him out of Congress so there would be smoother sailing of Donald's agenda?

Or was he promised something in turn for his Congressional resignation?

Intriguing.

5 posted on 11/22/2024 11:32:21 AM PST by llevrok (On to judicial appointments!!)
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To: CFW

He’s probably going to become a podcaster.


6 posted on 11/22/2024 11:33:39 AM PST by monkeyshine (live and let live is dead)
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To: Blurb2350
When Gaetz said "I do not intend to join the 119th Congress", I assume that also means the Senate. Could he change his mind? I suppose.
7 posted on 11/22/2024 11:35:01 AM PST by CatOwner (Don't expect anyone, even conservatives, to have your back when the SHTF in 2021 and beyond.)
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To: CFW

we should be watching the DNC Election Theft Machine now

AZ, NV, CA, PA senate seat just barely saved from theft by one judge’s vote there

WI or anywhere else are there still any thefts afoot?


8 posted on 11/22/2024 11:38:50 AM PST by faithhopecharity ("Politicians aren't born, they're excreted." Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 to 43 BCE))
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To: CFW

8 years in enough, term limits now!!!


9 posted on 11/22/2024 11:48:34 AM PST by ThisLittleLightofMine
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To: iamgalt

Maybe not a head-fake but perhaps let’s-see-what-happens


10 posted on 11/22/2024 11:50:58 AM PST by Gene Eric
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To: ThisLittleLightofMine
8 years in enough, term limits now!!!

100% agree. 14 years in Congress?! Time to leave.
11 posted on 11/22/2024 11:51:58 AM PST by Hoboto (I blame Hippies.)
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To: Gene Eric

I thought the beauty of this chess move was that it prevented the release of that skewed report and also allowed him to save face. I thought it was a stroke of genius!


12 posted on 11/22/2024 11:55:40 AM PST by Eurydice
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To: Gene Eric

Could be. I think Trump found out he is in the exact position he was in with the 2016 Senate. They are the deep state firewall.


13 posted on 11/22/2024 11:57:55 AM PST by iamgalt
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To: Blurb2350
That was my thought too — U.S. Senate.

I doubt it's DeSantis' thought, and he's the one who gets to make that call. I expect he'll do what's best for FL and what's best for himself and his 2028 presidential ambitions. I doubt Gaetz figures into that.
14 posted on 11/22/2024 11:59:34 AM PST by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: faithhopecharity

we should be watching the DNC Election Theft Machine now


I’ve had those pages open since election day. Most districts are at 95 percent reported but they are slowly stealing one district after another while few are watching. It is obvious it is election theft. Most people think all these races were decided two weeks ago and know who there representative will be. They are in for a surprise.

Many think Alaska voted out RCV. Nope they stole it earlier this week and then just stopped counting any additional votes.

After this most recent election, Democrats are going to regroup, as they did in 2016, to make sure the unexpected can’t happen to them again. We did “too big to rig” this time. That will not work again.

The most important job for conservatives over the next two years is to tighten election laws, reverse this non-stop voting and counting, and make sure they can’t do this again in 2026.

Great headway was made in the past couple of years and especially since Lara Trump and Whately were put in charge of the RNC. But a lot more work needs to be done if we don’t want both the Senate and House going to Democrats in two years.


15 posted on 11/22/2024 12:00:17 PM PST by CFW
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To: CFW

Plan A = Be named by DeSantis as Rubio replacement.
Plan B = Be named by DeSantis as Bondi replacement.


16 posted on 11/22/2024 12:00:39 PM PST by RainMan ((Democrats ... making war against America since April 12, 1861))
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To: AnotherUnixGeek

Gaetz is a relatively big and well liked name in Florida. His dad is a senator. There is a rule that senators cannot serve more than 2 consecutive terms, so dad served 2 terms, sat one out, now is back in serving a 3rd term.


17 posted on 11/22/2024 12:02:51 PM PST by RainMan ((Democrats ... making war against America since April 12, 1861))
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To: CFW

I’m getting deja vu of how I felt when Governor Palin was forced out of office due to lawfare.


18 posted on 11/22/2024 12:07:07 PM PST by CondoleezzaProtege
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To: Eurydice

Nah, it leaked anyway just as he should have predicted.


19 posted on 11/22/2024 12:07:27 PM PST by RummyChick
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To: CFW

Thanks for all you do.

We aren’t gonna have to wait two years to lose control of the senate and house.
It’s already a fait accompli

Razor thin paper margins and more seats in theft process

Plus, it will only take 1,2,3 RINOS to block every possible reform, any presidential appointment, anything.

Does anyone even dream there aren’t enough RINOs already in congress (.both houses) to do this?

Prepare for a really rough four years


20 posted on 11/22/2024 12:12:50 PM PST by faithhopecharity ("Politicians aren't born, they're excreted." Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 to 43 BCE))
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