Former US Republican congressman Matt Gaetz found himself on the defensive this week when pressed about the nature of his relationship with Democratic socialist colleague Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
An Unlikely Alliance and an Awkward Question
The inquiry came from conservative commentator Tucker Carlson during an interview on his web show. Carlson revisited a topic first joked about by his former Fox News colleague Greg Gutfeld in May 2023: a hypothetical romance between the two politically opposed figures.
At the time of Gutfeld's original comment, Gaetz was 43 and married, while Ocasio-Cortez was engaged to her fiancé, Riley Roberts. Gaetz had previously dismissed the speculation as "childish."
Despite this, Carlson posed the question directly this week: "Did you ever date her?" Gaetz, a staunch MAGA supporter, replied, "I did not, no." When Carlson followed up with, "Did you try?" Gaetz answered, "No, and uh, not my cup of tea."
From 'Chummy' to 'Horns' After January 6
Gaetz proceeded to describe their working relationship, noting that before the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol, Ocasio-Cortez had been "incredibly chummy" with her Republican colleagues in the House.
"After that, she 'treated us all like we had horns or something,'" Gaetz claimed. The conversation then turned to Ocasio-Cortez's public statements about suffering trauma from being present during the Capitol attack.
Gaetz panned her reaction as "bad performance art." Carlson quipped, "You can’t be in charge of anything if you’re a terrified little girl." Gaetz agreed, adding, "Yeah, but we are a society that is increasingly built on grievance identity."
Despite the criticism, Gaetz conceded that his former colleague could mount a "compelling run" against California Governor Gavin Newsom for the Democratic presidential nomination if she chose, stating, "I think she will be formidable as well."
Gaetz's Controversial Exit and New Role
The interview comes after a tumultuous period for Gaetz. The hardline Republican resigned from the House of Representatives in November 2024 following Donald Trump's announcement nominating him for Attorney General.
Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration after members of his own party refused to back him. Shortly after, the House Ethics Committee released a report from its 2021 investigation into allegations against Gaetz, including sex trafficking.
The US Justice Department declined to press charges against Gaetz at the time, but his associate, Joel Greenberg, was convicted on federal sex trafficking of a minor charges and sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Gaetz now hosts a show on the conservative cable channel One America News. He and his wife, Ginger Gaetz, whom he married in 2021, welcomed a baby boy in August of this year.
