scandal
Top stories
Fox News Issues Brutal Statement that It Has 'No Interest' in Hiring Matt Gaetz and the Mockery Was Swift
As one of the most far-right members of Congress, Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) became notable for his viral defenses of former President Donald Trump, whom he's hailed as one of the greatest Presidents in American history.
Earlier this week, the New York Times reported that Gaetz is under federal investigation for the sex trafficking of a minor, whom he may have paid to travel and lodge with him.
Since then, news has only gotten worse for Gaetz, with CNN reporting that he showed nude photos of his sexual conquests on the House floor and the Times reporting that Gaetz allegedly took ecstasy, an illegal drug, before having sex with the women he paid.
As more salacious and disturbing details continue to surface, Gaetz's future in Congress is being called into question.
Just before the initial report of the investigation broke, Axios reported that Gaetz was considering an early exit from Congress for a job at the ultra-right media outlet Newsmax.
In a Wednesday comment to the Daily Beast, Gaetz said he'd spoken with other right-wing networks as well, including the most famous one of all: Fox News.
"I've talked to either executives, producers or hosts at Newsmax, OAN, Fox, Fox Business, Real America's Voice and probably others I'm forgetting in this moment as I focus intently on refuting false accusations against me."
Gaetz has appeared on Fox News frequently, and even took to far-right Fox host Tucker Carlson's broadcast earlier this week in his first appearance after news of the investigation broke.
But with things looking bleaker for Gaetz, Fox News scrambled to distance itself in a statement:
"No one with any level of authority has had conversations with Matt Gaetz for any of our platforms, and we have no interest in hiring him."
For many, the network's cemented solidified the Congressman's fall from grace.
So after four years of auditioning, it all just goes poof... https://t.co/HPlnGiZqPE— Daryle Lamont Jenkins (@Daryle Lamont Jenkins) 1617359866.0
This...is what a sinking ship looks like ...🔥🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/XY6fm2hIFO— Seitan Worshipper Staying Home 🦠🦠 (@Seitan Worshipper Staying Home 🦠🦠) 1617343006.0
@thehill Wow. That’s a really low bar.— Ada Maimer (@Ada Maimer) 1617342909.0
@thehill ... but I hear The Riddler is considering hiring him as a henchman.— Charlie Vignola (@Charlie Vignola) 1617345150.0
In addition to having "no interest" in hiring him, Gaetz's scandal has been conspicuously absent from Fox News' reporting, with only one mention of the Congressman since Wednesday morning.
We're approaching 48 hours since Matt Gaetz was last mentioned on Fox News or Fox Business. Here's what they're cov… https://t.co/Gr7vefBdLk— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1617371462.0
The network's silence said a mouth full.
Fox bans news about Matt Gaetz because Fox is not news. https://t.co/wufe0Gl7VE— Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence O'Donnell) 1617372542.0
A network isn't operating as a journalistic outlet just because it has "news" in its name. When relevant stories ab… https://t.co/d3IgiSbYqQ— Susan Bordson (@Susan Bordson) 1617373245.0
The “news” Fox actually presents is biased AF, but the bigger bias is in what they don’t cover. Invisible bias. (e.… https://t.co/ELqAEsiWFc— We're_All_Rising (@We're_All_Rising) 1617373580.0
The beauty of a closed loop information system is that they can simply construct reality for their flock. No one wo… https://t.co/mVUn0KTSPU— OBKG (@OBKG) 1617373068.0
@FoxNews @FoxBusiness: we’ll continue to remind you that your silence signals your support of vile immoral behavior… https://t.co/n8QLOhq552— DMoore 🇺🇸 (@DMoore 🇺🇸) 1617372802.0
Gaetz continues to claim that the reporting on him is false, and that the Justice Department's investigation—which began in the Trump era—is part of an extortion effort.