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Florida Representative Matt Gaetz on Monday pushed back on a report that said he strongly hinted he would run for governor in his state.
Among the conservatives who may be disappointed by Gaetz refuting the report is Donald Trump Jr., who recently said he would "campaign aggressively" for Gaetz if he made a bid for governor.
NBC News on Monday wrote that while speaking to people during a weekend reception in Tallahassee, Gaetz "strongly implied several times he would be running for governor" in 2026. If he were to pursue the position in 2026, the Republican would be vying to succeed Florida's current governor, Ron DeSantis, who faces term limits.
However, Gaetz told NBC News that his main political focus at the moment is former President Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and added that Florida currently has "an outstanding governor." He later distanced himself further from the report in a statement to Newsweek, calling the story "overblown clickbait."
"The NBC story is overblown clickbait. I ran into dozens of former colleagues from my days in the state legislature," Gaetz told Newsweek in a statement. "They encouraged me relentlessly to consider returning to Florida. I wasn't focused on any of that talk, though."
He added that his "sole mission right now" is fighting a continuing resolution on Ukraine funding, special prosecutor Jack Smith and "a weaponized Biden government."
During a live-streamed interview on Rumble outside last month's Republican presidential primary debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Trump Jr. asked the Florida representative if he had presidential aspirations.
"No, no, no," Gaetz answered.
"Matt Gaetz for governor!" Trump said, which prompted Trump's fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle, to second the idea.
"I would definitely enjoy that job so much," Gaetz said. "I would never leave it if I ever got that opportunity."
"I'm the first endorsement of Matt because I just want to see the meltdown," Trump said. "The media—absolute meltdown—to that announcement...I will work on that campaign aggressively."
"I'm not in the race yet, but I've signed up my first volunteer and my second," Gaetz said.
"I am the first and Kim's the second volunteer," Trump said.
Meanwhile, Gaetz has spent recent days in Congress feuding with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, even calling him "McFailure" and warning he will attempt to remove his fellow Republican from the speakership if concessions aren't met.
McCarthy last week announced a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, which will look into whether the president was improperly influenced by the business dealings of his son, Hunter Biden. But Gaetz has called on McCarthy to issue subpoenas for Hunter, as well as the release of more footage recorded during the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. In addition, Gaetz wants McCarthy to ensure a balanced budget and set term limits for members of Congress.
About the writer
Jon Jackson is a News Editor at Newsweek based in New York. His focus is on reporting on the Ukraine ... Read more