Matt Gaetz failed to speak at any Northwest Florida July 4th events and held no press conferences in Pensacola last week. However, he did find time to invite Brittany Spears to speak to Congress. He also attended a Trump rally in this past Saturday.
Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics reports this morning that his sources say Senate President Wilton Simpson turned down a chance to speak at Donald Trump’s rally this past weekend in Sarasota after he learned Panhandle CongressmanMatt Gaetz was also on the speaker’s list.
According to Schorsch, no one knew  Gaetz would show up at the rally and demand time on stage.  Simpson didn’t want a place anywhere on the same slate of speakers as Gaetz.
“You know the biggest reason,” wrote Schorsch. “The Fort Walton Beach Congressman, once one of Trump’s most reliable cable news cheerleaders, remains under federal investigation for alleged sex trafficking of a minor.”
The silence of Matt Gaetz and the local political class speaks volumes as to the kind of “leadership†we have here in District I.
First, the United States is withdrawing from Afghanistan and the Taliban are advancing. Have we heard from the Biden Administration anything about America’s long-term strategy to prevent a resurgence of terrorist activity or safe havens in Afghanistan?
If our Congressman were truly engaged in the business of his constituents, he would be demanding an answer. Is he? No.
Second, has our Congressman publicly and directly addressed the people of District I and denied or explained the lurid allegations against him? No.
It seems that Congressman Gaetz vigorously defends himself and promotes issues only when a camera is rolling. Are Brittany Spears’ legal issues and marijuana use by an athlete more important to our “Representative†than the needs of his District?
Do the citizens of District I really care about the issues Matt Gaetz promotes so strongly? No.
Sadly, it is becoming apparent that Matt Gaetz lacks the maturity, humility and stability necessary to adequately and honorably represent District I. He has spent his tenure in Washington promoting his image and allegedly indulging his vices, not addressing the concerns and needs of District I.
With all of his proximity to President Trump and presence on TV, can anyone identify a major accomplishment Matt Gaetz has produced for District I? No.
Matt Gaetz would do well to either publicly and directly explain his actions to the people of District I or resign. He would benefit from studying the case of John Profumo, the British politician who resigned in 1963 after denying an affair with a teenage woman.
Finally, the great failure here is not with Matt Gaetz. It is with the local political establishment that continues to support Matt despite his silence about these charges and lack of focus on District I.
Our local political class professes transparency, fiscal conservatism, moral responsibility and a strong national defense. If they truly believe in the values they preach, they will demand that Matt (the person who represents us at the national level) answer or admit these charges.
If Matt cannot focus on his District, then he needs to resign—our local political class should demand that of him.