In politics, one needs a lot of mentorship to succeed. Matt Gaetz, the current United States representative for the 1st congressional district in Florida, was brought up by a politician father who inspired him to become one as well. Recently, he made headlines after he was placed on self-quarantine for 14 days after being in contact with a person who was infected with COVID-19.

Matt Gaetz is a trained lawyer and a member of the Republican Party. He is the United States representative for Florida’s 1st congressional district, a position he has held since 2017. Before assuming this office, he was a member of the Florida House of Representatives for six years.

He is widely known for being very vocal and having strong opinions about different issues that affect contemporary America.

Profile summary

• Name: Matthew Louis Gaetz II (commonly known as Matt Gaetz)
• Age: 37 years
• Date of birth: 7th May 1982
• Place of birth: Hollywood, Florida, United States of America
• Zodiac sign: Taurus
• Nationality: American
• Religion: Baptist
• Weight: 160 pounds
• Height: 5 feet 7 inches
• Father: Don Gaetz
• Mother: Victoria “Vickey” (Quertermous)
• Sister: Erin Gaetz
• Grandfather: Jerry Gaetz
• Alma mater: Bluewater Elementary School, Ruckel Middle School, Florida State University and William & Mary Law School
• Political party: Republican Party
• Profession: Lawyer and politician

Matt Gaetz early life and family background

Where is Representative Matt Gaetz from? The politician was born on the 7th of May 1982 in Hollywood, Florida, United States of America. Currently, Matt Gaetz age is 37 years, and Taurus is his Zodiac sign.

What nationality is Gaetz? His nationality is American. Matt Gaetz religion is Baptist, and he is an active member of the First Baptist Church of Fort Walton Beach. He is passionate about ensuring that every American has the freedom of religion.

The lawyer was born to Victoria “Vickey” (Quertermous) and her husband, Don Gaetz. He was raised near Fort Walton Beach in Okaloosa County, and he has a younger sister named Erin, who was the director of digital content in the 2016 presidential campaign for Jeb Bush.

It is interesting to note that Erin and her older brother grew up in the same house that was used in the film, The Truman Show. THE TRUMAN HOUSE, as is indicated in the picket fence of the property, is located in Seaside, Florida. Don and Victoria still reside in it.

Don was a politician, so his son took after him. He was one of the members of the Florida State Senate from 2006 until 2016. Between 2012 and 2014, he also served as the president of the Senate.

Jerry Gaetz, the politician’s grandfather, served as the mayor of Rugby, North Dakota. He was also one of the candidates for the seat of lieutenant governor of North Dakota at the North Dakota Republican Party state convention in 1964. Unfortunately, Jerry suffered a heart attack and died.

Education background

The lawyer and politician went to Bluewater Elementary School, after which he joined Ruckel Middle School. Where did Matt Gaetz go to high school? After graduating from middle school, he went to Niceville High School.

He was a student at Florida State University from where he graduated in 2003 with a B.S. in interdisciplinary sciences. Afterward, he then joined the William & Mary Law School from where he graduated in 2007.

Matt Gaetz height and weight

Matt Gaetz weight is about 160 pounds, and his height is 5 feet 7 inches.

Career

After graduating from William & Mary Law School, the lawyer worked for one of the law firms in Fort Walton Beach before joining the world of politics. The Republican Party is Matt Gaetz political party of choice.

His political career started in 2010, and since then, he has established his reputation as a politician with strong opinions and beliefs.

Florida House of Representatives

In March 2010, Ray Sansom, the then-Republican state representative of Florida, resigned after he was accused and charged with corruption in February that year. It was after Ray’s resignation that Matt vied in the special election to become his successor in Florida’s fourth district.

The primaries included other candidates, among them Kabe Woods, Bill Garvie, Jerry G. Melvin, and Craig Barker. Matt had a 43% win and was named the Republican nominee. In the general election, he competed against Jan Fernald, the Democratic nominee.

During the campaign period, his supporters contributed about $480,000, which was about 50 times more than what Jan Fernald received in contributions. The contributions showed that Matt Gaetz approval rating was high.

He won 66% of the total votes and was named the new state representative of Florida for a full term. Matt Gaetz district map included Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties.

In 2012, the Florida House of Representatives districts were reconfigured, so Santa Rosa County was no longer part of the politician’s district. In both 2012 and 2014, he was re-elected without any opposition.

During his tenure in the Florida House of Representatives, Matt teamed up with state senator Joe Negron, and together, they proposed legislation that would accelerate the execution of a large percentage of the 404 inmates who were on Florida’s death row.

They needed the governor to sign a death warrant for all inmates who had exhausted their appeals. He also teamed up with Greg Evers, a state senator, to propose a law that abolished the federal ethanol content mandate that 10% of gasoline sold in Florida contain ethanol. Governor Rick Scott of Florida signed it into law in May 2013.

During the trial of George Zimmerman, the man who shot Trayvon Martin, the speaker of the Florida House of Representatives ordered for “stand-your-ground” hearings. Matt, the then chair of the Criminal Justice Subcommittee, was given the responsibility of reviewing the legislation.

Before the hearing, he clearly stated that he would not change anything, not even a comma, but he would listen to both sides. After the hearing was concluded, the authored legislation that would allow a defendant who used their “stand your ground” defense during a trial to apply for certification of eligibility to remove information related to “stand your ground” from their criminal records.

He brought up his arrest and non-conviction in 2008 as an example. His subcommittee deliberated on the legislation to keep mug shots of persons who are charged with crimes off the Internet until they are convicted.

He argued that making public the mug shots could cause problems for people who were not accustomed to publicity.

Florida Senate and U.S. House 2016 races

In 2013, the politician declared his interest in running for the 1st District state senate seat in 2016. The position was at the time held by his father, who would vacate it in 2016 upon the end of his term.

On the 21st of March 2016, he withdrew from the race and decided to vie for the United States House seat representing Florida’s 1st congressional district instead. Eleven days before his decision, Jeff Miller had announced that he would not be seeking re-election.

In the primaries that were held on the 30th of August 2016, he won the Republican slot with 35.7% of the vote. He defeated Cris Dosev, Greg Evers, and five other candidates. With this win, he was almost assured of the seat because most of the people in Florida’s 1st District are Republicans.

In the general elections that took place on the 8th of November 2016, he defeated Steven Specht, the Democratic candidate, when he got 69% of the total votes.

In 2016, Matt Gaetz Congress disclosed his financial position. At the time, Matt Gaetz net worth was only $388,000. He donated $200,000 of his money to his congressional campaign. He then resigned from two political action committees in Florida House.

After the closure of the political action committees, he transferred $380,000 to a federal super political action committee called the North Florida Neighbors. The committee aimed to support him in his congressional bid.

United States House of Representatives

After the demise of José Fernández, Miami Marlins’ pitcher, on the 25th of September 2016, the politician criticized the decision of athletes to protest during the national anthem. From January to June 2017, he became a member of the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership.

In 2019, the politician expressed interest in the Senate seat in Alabama in 2020 but later decided not to vie for it.

After the 2020 State of the Union Address, the politician lodged an ethics complaint against Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House. He argued that she violated decorum when she tore her copy of the speech.

In February 2020, the politician declared that he would not be accepting campaign contributions from federal political action committees anymore.

Stand on various issues

The lawyer and politician is known for having strong opinions on multiple topics that affect the present-day American society.

Cannabis

Matt proposed legislation to change the classification of cannabis to a Schedule III drug from Schedule I. He also sought to loosen the federal limitations on the farming of cannabis for research through another legislation.

He argued that the federal government has lied to its people for a generation when addressing the benefits of medical marijuana.

In his position at the Florida House, he sponsored a bill to expand Florida state’s Right to Try Act to include the medical advantages of the plant. The bill was signed into law. In 2017, he was a keynote speaker at the annual American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association conference.

In November 2019, he was one of the two House Judiciary Committee Republicans to vote for the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act. The act would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act.

He also introduced the STATES Act to block federal meddling in states that had already made marijuana legal for both recreational and medical use.

Relationship with Donald Trump

On the 23rd of February 2017, the politician faced and spoke to about 500 protesters at his town hall in Pace, Florida. He arrived 30 minutes late, and the people questioned his relationship with Donald Trump as well as his position on canceling Obamacare.

They also questioned his proposal to obliterate the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). On his relationship with President Trump, he said that the president should make public his tax returns but did not say that the Congress should subpoena them.

On several occasions, he was accused of being fully aligned and an enthusiastic defender of Donald Trump.

Economy

In 2017, he supported the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and acknowledged that the bill would benefit both Donald Trump and Americans because real estate would become more accessible and easier.

Environment

In 2016, he agreed that global warming has occurred but did not agree that the change was caused by human activity. He was, in turn, accused of being a denier of climate change. In 2017, he proposed the complete abolition of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA.)

He argued that most of the small businesses could not afford the costs involved with EPA compliance.

In November 2017, he became a member of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus. He stated that he supports technological innovation and financial incentives that help to deal with climate change.

He also supports increased funding for research on the same by universities, NASA, and NOAA, but he does not support heightened environmental regulation.

LGBTQ+ rights

In 2015, he and David Richardson, a Democratic representative, sponsored an amendment to revoke the prohibition of adoption among same-sex couples. He pleaded with his father to support his proposition.

Gun policy

The politician is a member of the National Rifle Association, and he has an A+ rating from the association. When he was still serving at the Florida House of Representatives, he unsuccessfully pushed for permission to be granted to Floridians who have concealed-weapons permits to carry their weapons openly. He is a strong supporter of concealed carry reciprocity.

Health care

The politician argued that the expansion of Obamacare powered the opioid crisis. The relevant experts argued otherwise and claimed that there was no evidence to support his view.

Immigration

Matt does not support sanctuary cities that choose not to set aside resources to prosecute undocumented persons. In his opinion, undocumented people were sucking America dry. In 2018, he supported Donald Trump’s words that African countries and Haiti were “shithole” nations.

In October 2018, he falsely accused George Soros of paying for a caravan of migrants into the United States of America from Central America.

Robert Mueller case

For a while now, the politician has been a vocal critic of the Mueller investigation. During the House Judiciary Committee Hearing on the 24th of July 2019, he grilled Special Counsel Robert Mueller about his investigation and report.

He asked about the origins of the Mueller’s investigation report and several conspicuous omissions from the report.

Although Mueller was given the mandate to investigate the efforts by the Russian government to interfere with the 2016 presidential election, he refused to respond to come of the questions. Matt asked about the bias in his investigative team.

Foreign policy

In late 2017, Matt supported the decision by President Trump to make Jerusalem the capital of Israel. He said the United States Embassy in Tel Aviv was dismissive, wrong, and disrespectful and that it should be moved to Jerusalem.

In April 2019, he signed the letter to President Trump after the House passed a decision to support the withdrawal of support for Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen. In the letter, which was also signed by other lawmakers, they requested for a meeting with the president to urge him to sign the Senate Joint Resolution 7.

This would invoke the War Powers Act of 1973 to bring to an end the unauthorized US military participation in Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen.

Controversies

Matt has had several controversies in his lifetime, and they include the following;

Death of college roommate

Who was Matt Gaetz college roommate? Many people are curious to know who Matt Gaetz Florida State University roommate was. Although his name is yet to be disclosed to the public, his undergraduate roommate was found dead under mysterious and suspicious circumstances. The politician was suspected of homicide.

After this roommate was found dead, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement initially investigated the matter as a homicide. However, there are reports that the department was pressured to investigate it as suicide.

Within no time, the suspicious death was then buried both by the university and the investigative officers.

Driving under the influence and speeding tickets

In 2008, the politician was arrested for driving under the influence at 13mph above the allowed speed limit in Okaloosa Island, Florida. He failed the eye test two times and refused to take the breathalyzer test.

He was not convicted, and his driving license was reinstated by state attorney Steve Meadows instead of being suspended for one year as the law states. The charges against him were dismissed, allegedly due to the intereference of his powerful father. Between 1999 and 2014, the politician had received 16 speeding tickets in his home state.

Association with Chuck Johnson

The politician invited Chuck Johnson, an alt-right Holocaust denier, to the State of the Union address by President Trump. He stated that he did not have a previous relationship with Johnson, but he invited him after he showed up at his office.

Johnson said that other members of Congress had invited him, but he accepted the invitation because the politician supports things that he cares about.

Michael Cohen’s case

Before the public hearing of Michael Cohen, Matt Tweeted about Cohen and implied that he had multiple affairs outside his marriage. He also hinted that his wife might have been unfaithful while he was incarcerated. He had no evidence to support his words.

His statement was taken as an effort to intimidate one of the witnesses. He was heavily criticized for the Tweet and was forced to delete it and apologize. Although he was not a member of the House Oversight Committee, he attended Cohen’s hearing because he wanted to observe and ask questions.

After an investigation into his Tweet by The Florida Bar was opened, The Bar concluded that the politician had not violated its rules when he sent the Cohen Tweet.

Matt Gaetz quarantined

Matt Gaetz latest news indicates that the politician was placed in self-quarantine for a fortnight after coming into contact with a person who was infected with the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19.)

Earlier on, he mockingly wore a gas mask to the House during a debate on financial resources to mitigate the Corona outbreak. He mocked the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act and failed to apologize even after a member from his constituency died.

A few days later, his office reported that he had physical contact with a CPAC attendee who has tested positive for the virus. He was then asked to go into self-quarantine for 14 days. He reported that he tested negative for the virus and that he showed no symptoms of COVID-19.

Who is Matt Gaetz spouse?

The politician keeps his love life away from the public. There are reports that he is yet to get married, so Matt Gaetz wife may not be there yet.

Matt Gaetz Twitter

The politician is very vocal on his Twitter account, where he has more than 439.9k followers. He often uses the platform to express his views and opinions on various American and global issues. He is also on Instagram, where he has at least 140k followers and has a Facebook page with over 150k followers.

Lawyer and politician Matt Gaetz took after his father in American politics. The Florida-born United States representative for Florida is known for being very vocal about issues that affect his home state, country, and the world. Several controversies have also marred his journey in politics, and his latest news involves the 2019-2020 Coronavirus outbreak.

Matt Gaetz is currently under self-quarantine after he was in physical contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19.

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