Mother Jones – September 01, 2019

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2019 | MOTHER JONES 35

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what’s the benefit of being the

president’s most sycophantic fanboy

in Congress? If you ask the office of

Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican from

the Florida Panhandle, what the con-

gressman’s unquestioning defense

of Donald Trump has brought his

district, you will receive a list titled

“President Trump Wins for FL-01.”

Among the 17 items:

“President Trump says Rep. Gaetz

is ‘handsome, going places...fantas-

tic’ in Fort Myers, Florida rally.”

“President Trump holds rally in

Pensacola, FL with Matt Gaetz.”

“President Trump calls Rep. Gaetz

‘an absolute warrior’ in live Fox

News interview.”

“President Trump endorses Gaetz

in the Republican primary calling

him ‘one of the finest and most tal-

ented people in Congress.’”

Flattery in Trumpworld is a two-

way street, and Gaetz, 37, has earned

a reputation for becoming one of the

party’s highest-profile members by

cheerleading for the president and

emulating his public bullying and

trolling. Gaetz seems to spend more

time on Fox News than in congres-

sional committee rooms, and when

he does legislate, it’s sometimes

for show. After Trump mocked the

House Intelligence Committee chair,

one of his chief antagonists, as “little

pencil-neck Adam Schiff,” Gaetz

went on Tucker Carlson’s show to

announce a resolution to boot the

California Democrat off the commit-

tee. Gaetz called it the Preventing Ex-

treme Negligence with Classified In-

formation Licenses Act, or pencil Act.

The suck-up beat comes with risks

for Gaetz: covering for Trump’s lies,

contradicting himself, looking bad

in history books, getting ratioed

on Twitter. In June, a constituent

pelted him with an unidentified

red beverage. But there are upsides:

free rides on Air Force One. Com-

pliments from Melania. Invaluable

campaign endorsements in Florida’s

most Republican district. And, most

important, TV appearances.

How Matt Gaetz used

bullying, his dad’s money, and

a whole lot of sucking up to

Trump to become a star

BY STEPHANIE MENCIMER

PHOTOILLUSTRATION BY EDDIE GUY