“[Matt Gaetz is] not a conservative Republican. He’s a charlatan.” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) [1]
“Matt Gaetz is a fraud.” Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) [2]
See Disclaimer.
House Republicans have recently accused representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) of being a ‘fraud,’ a ‘charlatan’ and more. These accusations ring absolutely true: Mr. Gaetz is clearly deceiving others by making false claims for personal gain. His behavior disrupts the work of Congress and the well-being and safety of Americans, and the disruptions are meant to gain notoriety and help fundraising.
But the timing of the accusations says more about his fellow Republicans than about Mr. Gaetz himself. In fact, his behavior is neither recent nor original. Rather, it got him elected and re-elected, and is modeled on the strategy of chaos, lies and disruption that has too often worked well for the (still) de facto leader of his party.
When Rep. Mace (R-SC) disparages Mr. Gaetz as a ‘fraud’ because “Every time he voted against Kevin McCarthy last week he sent out a fundraising email,” she is right. But is this behavior any different from Mr. Trump messaging and fundraising out of his indictments and trials [3]? While Republicans and Democrats alike are guilty of sensationalism-driven fundraising, Mr. Trump often elevates it to seemingly blatant fraud.
When Rep. Lawler (R-NY) says “There’s only one person to blame for any potential government shutdown, and that’s Matt Gaetz,” he is right in worrying about the government closing down, and unnecessarily bringing major disruptions to Americans. He is also right in pointing to Mr. Gaetz as a major culprit. However, is he not ignoring the many other House Republicans who have worked towards or voted for the shutdown? And how could he ignore that Mr. Trump has also encouraged that disastrous approach, once more for personal and political gain?
The logical inference is that denouncing Mr. Gaetz comes less from genuine ethical outrage than from political expediency. For instance, focusing on the most vocal troublemaker, perhaps even expelling him from Congress [4], could have been an attempt to preempt the vacation of Speaker Kevin McCarthy. If so, of course, it was unsuccessful. And to make things even more confusing, Ms. Mace voted to vacate Mr. McCarthy on a successful motion filed by … Mr. Gaetz.
More broadly, the fact that fundamentally similar behaviors are condemned on Mr. Gaetz and embraced on Mr. Trump would be comic if not so dangerous. House Republicans should hold a mirror to themselves, in their newfound zeal to call (sadly appropriate) derogatory names to one of their own. They may find far more frauds and charlatans in their ranks than their current target.
Which brings us to the real question: Why are we electing, and too often re-electing, people with such a low moral compass and scant sense of decency and patriotism?
Just like former Bristish prime minister Winston Churchill once said, “Democracy is the worst form of government, except all others.” Much can go wrong. And it does. Tolerating, electing, and even embracing charlatans is an obvious example.
Still, there is a recipe to keep Democracy strong: Be informed and critical thinkers. Nurture a culture of decency, responsibility, empathy, and ethics. Reform systems that need reform. Vote wisely at local, state, and federal elections.
Let’s go for it?
References
[1] GOP Rep. Nancy Mace blasts Matt Gaetz as a ‘fraud’ for fundraising off McCarthy Speaker votes. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/3804637-gop-rep-nancy-mace-blasts-matt-gaetz-as-a-fraud-for-fundraising-off-mccarthy-speaker-votes/
[2] GOP blames looming shutdown on 21 Republican holdouts. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4230854-gop-blames-looming-shutdown-on-21-republican-hold-outs/
[3] As his fraud trial begins, Trump looks to capitalize on It. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/01/us/politics/trump-fraud-trial.html
[4] Newt Gingrich: Republicans must expel Matt Gaetz. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/10/03/newt-gingrich-matt-gaetz-remove/
Outside the box 