House Republicans are not rushing to the defense of embattled Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.
The three-term lawmaker, facing a federal sex-trafficking probe, “won’t last long,” a GOP member of Congress told The Hill, claiming Gaetz’s days on Capitol Hill are numbered.
One GOP House insider told The Post the allegations against Gaetz are “despicable.”
“Right now it looks like at best he winds up leaving Congress disgraced and at worst he winds up in prison,” the insider said. “He is trying to tweet through the entire situation but it doesn’t seem to be going very well for him. … We would like this problem to go away.”
While none of Gaetz’s Republican colleagues have actively called on him to resign, evidence of discontent is growing.
House leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters this week allegations against the Congressman were “serious.” California GOP Rep. David Valadao gave campaign donations from Gaetz to victims of domestic abuse, Axios reported.
Former GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock has called for him to go.
Gaetz, one of former President Trump’s closest allies in Congress, has long been a divisive figure in his party and has particularly rankled many of his colleagues for his attacks on fellow lawmakers.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy answers questions during a press conference at the Capitol on Jan. 9, 2020. Win McNamee/Getty ImagesIn January, Gaetz staged a rally in Wyoming to rail against US Rep. Liz Cheney, one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 US Capitol insurrection. He played an active role in an unsuccessful internal House effort to strip her of her leadership role as GOP House conference chair.
Gaetz, who says he will not resign, has denied allegations he paid for sex with minors and says he is the victim of a baroque extortion plot.
