Matt Gaetz

Biography

Matthew Louis Gaetz II was born on May 7, 1982, in Hollywood, Florida. He comes from a prominent political family—his father, Don Gaetz, served in the Florida State Senate from 2006 to 2016 and was Senate President from 2012 to 2014. His grandfather, S.J. "Jerry" Gaetz, served as Mayor of Rugby, North Dakota, and later as a North Dakota State Senator. Gaetz was raised in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and currently resides there.

He is a member of the Republican Party and is known as a staunch defender of former President Donald Trump. During his time in Congress, he gained recognition as one of the most outspoken ultraconservative members of the Republican Party and played a pivotal role in the ouster of Kevin McCarthy from his position as Speaker of the House.

Education

Gaetz graduated from Florida State University in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in World Affairs. He subsequently earned his *Juris Doctor * from the College of William & Mary in Virginia in 2007. Before entering electoral politics, he worked as an attorney at a law firm in northwest Florida.

Political Experience

Gaetz was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2010 at age 27, representing District 4 . He served in the state legislature until 2016 and received national attention for defending Florida's "stand-your-ground law."

In 2016, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives representing Florida's 1st congressional district. He was re-elected in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. In November 2024, President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to serve as United States Attorney General. Following this nomination, Gaetz resigned from the House of Representatives. However, he subsequently withdrew from consideration for Attorney General amid mounting criticism and investigations into various allegations, including sexual misconduct. In January 2025, Gaetz began hosting The Matt Gaetz Show, a political talk show airing on One America News Network.