‘Is that a joke?’: Ginger Gaetz tries to cover awkwardness of Matt Gaetz losing Trump’s AG job with a ‘James Bond’ picture

In a bizarre attempt at image rehabilitation, Ginger Gaetz took to social media platform X to share what she thought was a fancy photo of her husband, Matt Gaetz. The ill-timed post came shortly after the former Florida congressman’s hopes of becoming Trump’s Attorney General were dashed due to a nasty (and criminal) political scandal.

The 42-year-old Republican’s political career has been on a downward spiral since 2020, when federal investigators began examining allegations of sex trafficking and misconduct. The Department of Justice investigation focused on claims that Gaetz and his former associate Joel Greenberg were involved in recruiting women for sex, with investigators uncovering an extensive network of Venmo payments to multiple women. Greenberg, who served as a tax collector in Seminole County, Florida, later pleaded guilty to six federal charges, including sex trafficking of a minor, and is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence.

The scandal deepened when the House Ethics Committee released damaging testimony from multiple witnesses. One alarming account came from a witness who claimed to have observed Gaetz engaging in sexual activities with a 17-year-old at a private party in Orlando. The committee’s investigation also revealed approximately $10,000 in payments made to two women who later became witnesses in the sexual misconduct investigations. These allegations, combined with evidence of drug use at these gatherings, created a storm of controversy that would eventually derail Gaetz’s political aspirations.

Matt Gaetz failed path to Attorney General

Donald Trump’s consideration of Gaetz for the position of Attorney General initially seemed like a lifeline for the embattled congressman. Gaetz, who had been one of Trump’s most vocal defenders during both impeachment trials, was so confident he would secure the position that he resigned from his congressional seat. However, the decision proved premature when the mounting evidence of his past misconduct made his confirmation virtually impossible.

The relationship between Trump and Gaetz has been a complex one. While Gaetz positioned himself as one of Trump’s most loyal allies, even going so far as to lead efforts to remove Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker, Trump’s inner circle reportedly advised against the Attorney General appointment. Sources close to Trump indicated that the former president was particularly concerned about the optics of appointing someone under such intense scrutiny to the nation’s top law enforcement position. 

This context makes Ginger Gaetz’s social media post particularly tone-deaf. The 30-year-old, who married Gaetz in 2021 amid the ongoing federal investigation, has consistently attempted to present their relationship as a glamorous political partnership. However, her efforts to portray her husband’s unemployment as some sort of sophisticated lifestyle choice have been met with widespread disgust. There’s nothing to celebrate about being unemployed because of your sexual misconduct with minors, and Ginger Gaetz’s post shows a concerning lack of awareness about the gravity of the situation.

While his wife attempts to craft a narrative of dignified unemployment through carefully staged photos, the reality remains that Gaetz’s political career imploded due to his nefarious behavior. No X post can change that.