Awkward: House gives a standing O as Matt Gaetz officially packs his bags

Matt Gaetz turns out to be the man who will unite Americans. He has officially vacated his seat in the House of Representatives. And how did his colleagues react? With a round of applause. Who said politics is divisive?

Acting House Clerk Kevin McCumber announced Friday that Gaetz won’t be returning for the 119th Congress: “The clerk is in receipt of a letter from the Honorable Matt Gaetz of Florida indicating that he will not serve in the House in the 119th Congress.” Yes, this is not a typo; McCumber really said, “Honorable Matt Gaetz.” This triggered a reaction in the chamber; some appeared to murmur about the “Honorable” part, and others cheered that Gaetz had officially left the building.

Gaetz’s tenure in Congress could be best described as “eventful” if you are feeling generous—or “a dumpster fire” if you’re not. Once a rising MAGA star, Gaetz resigned after being re-elected in November to accept Donald Trump’s nomination for attorney general. Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration after a House Ethics Committee report and a GOP Senate whip count showed that not even the Trumpies of Republicans could stomach backing him. The House Ethics report alleges Gaetz of prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, and obstruction of Congress. While these are only allegations, it looks like Gaetz isn’t beating them because his reputation is tanking. He has denied everything, and he hasn’t been charged yet.

With Gaetz gone, the Republican majority in the House is almost gone. They can only afford to lose one vote to maintain control. But what if this was the plan? At the same meeting where Gaetz’s resignation was announced, the House also voted on whether they keep Mike Johnson as Speaker. Johnson was able to secure enough votes to keep his leadership position. His seat was threatened after GOP infighting, and Gaetz’s history of ousting the previous Speaker was a threat. Maybe the GOP saw that the only way they could keep Johnson as Speaker was if Gaetz didn’t return at all. A bittersweet silver lining for a party still stunned from its recent speaker drama.

So, what’s next for Gaetz? He is currently hosting The Matt Gaetz Show at One America News Network. And, apparently, he is also doing Cameo, where fans can pay for personalized videos. It’s an unconventional path, but then again, nothing about Gaetz’s career has been conventional. Let’s just hope Trump stays sane enough to know that giving Gaetz a job in politics will end badly.