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Matt Gaetza former Florida congressman who briefly championed it Donald Trump’s next Attorney Generalnow he is reportedly set to join the conservative One America News Network (OAN) as an anchor.
CNN First Correspondent Kristen Holmes reported the development on Monday, citing an unnamed source, who appeared to explain a cryptic post from Gaetz’s wife Ginger on X on Sunday that simply read, “Big news coming next week!”
CNN Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter subsequently reported that he had asked OANN President Charles Herring to confirm Gaetz’s appointment, but Herring declined to comment. The Independent reached out to OANN for further clarification.
The website for “The Matt Gaetz Show” was live on the network’s official website along with banners and promotional work since Tuesday morning.
Gaetz, 42, known for his role in ousting the former Republican House speaker Kevin McCarthyhe is a favorite with Trump’s base.
Last month, he was named the president-elect’s nominee to lead it Ministry of Justice.
He resigned from Congress immediately after Trump’s announcement, just two days before the House Ethics Committee was to published his report in the charges that he had sex with an underage girl and used recreational drugs.
Gaetz has repeatedly denied the claims and has not been charged with a crime.
The revived scandal has reduced his chances of joining the Trump administration, and Senate Republicans have expressed concern ahead of his confirmation hearing in January.
Realizing he lacked the necessary support on Capitol Hill, Gaetz reluctantly withdrew from the process, and Trump responded by appointing a more experienced former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi in his place.
The House Council has since decided not to publish the findings of its investigation.
McCarthy, who remains Gaetz’s bitter enemy, appeared on Maria Bartiromo’s Fox News show Sunday morning to attack him for “lying” to Trump about his past. He argued that the entire episode provided Gaetz with a convenient excuse to withdraw from Washington before the ethics report saw the light of day.
“People know that’s why he’s not fit to even stay in Congress,” McCarthy said.
“He needed an excuse to resign because the ethics report will be done in a few days.”
Gaetz is not the only one of the president-elect’s nominees for his next administration to come under pressure from past scandals.
His pick for Secretary of Defense, a former Fox News weekend anchor Pete Hegsethhe faced repeated questions about previous sexual assault allegations, his alleged alcoholism and comments about women in the armed forces.
Tulsi Gabbardhis choice for director of national intelligence, has also come under fire for his past support for ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.