The possibility of a scandal used to be reason enough to end political careers with surprising speed. That no longer happens.
Suddenly involved in a sex trafficking investigation, Rep. Matt Gaetz any wrongdoing, rules out dismissal and presents himself as the victim of a smear campaign.
The legislature is joining a growing list of politicians from both parties – almost exclusively men – who are rephrasing the response to a controversy. Rather than humbly apologizing, they act like nothing was wrong, insist that they haven’t committed any irregularities, and bet that everything will be forgotten in the next election.
“Clearly this is a new strategy people are using to respond to a crisis,” said Brent Colburn, a Democratic strategist who worked for the Barack Obama administration. “It’s a new chapter in the manual.”
Gaetz’s political future remains questionable and will depend on the direction of the investigation. But after years of being one of Donald Trump’s main defenders, he now literally follows the formula so often used by the former president.
When a video was circulating late in the 2016 presidential campaign bragging about touching the intimate parts of several women, Trump said he apologized “if someone was offended” and downplayed the episode, saying it ” wardrobe-rubbish “was. He ignored requests from his own party to withdraw his candidacy and won the election a few weeks later.
As president, Trump responded to scandal after scandal by looking ahead, which prevented people from focusing on one topic for too long, even if that meant another controversy arose.
The pressure on Gaetz is increasing. During a hearing on Thursday, it was revealed that one of his political allies, Joel Greenberg, is negotiating a deal with investigators, which may not be good for him.
But for now, Gaetz is repeating Trump’s script and seeking the support of his most ardent supporters. On Friday, he spoke at an event at a Trump golf club in Miami.
“Trump sees in Matt Gaetz what he would like to see around the world,” said Republican strategist Rick Wilson, adding that in many ways the legislator is “the son he never had.”
Gaetz isn’t alone in refusing to give up the arm to turn in the middle of a political storm.
New York’s Democratic government Andrew Cuomo is refusing to resign despite several allegations of sexual abuse that have prompted some of his closest allies to demand his resignation.
Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam also remained in office in 2019 after a school yearbook was distributed painting him black along with someone in Ku Klux Klan robes. Northam admitted he was the person painted black and apologized, although days later he denied it was him.
As the storm abated, Northam remained in office and was praised for his handling of the coronavirus crisis.
Men seem to use these tactics more often than women. Representative Katie Hill resigned in 2019 after admitting that she was in an improper relationship with two members of her team.
‘The men on both sides do these things. They double down, deny and wait for the storm to subside, ”said Democratic strategist Nicole Brener-Schmitz. “Women are criticized when they resort to these drugs and also when they don’t.”
Meredith Conroy, a professor of political science at California State University in San Bernardino and author of several books, including “Masculinity, Media, and the American Presidency,” said the scandals they harm women more than men.
“Women in general, and especially in politics, are seen as fairer and more trustworthy,” said Conroy. “If they don’t fit that picture, they are the target of criticism.”
An exception is Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who defends her positions through thick and thin. She was stripped of her seat on the lower house credits committee and had to apologize for her support of QAnon and other conspiracy theories and for making racist comments.
But he refused to resign, raised more money than before, and is gaining popularity in some conservative circles.
Gaetz also remains popular in his Florida district, although some are beginning to question him within the Republican party itself.
Party rival Steve Jacobson says Gaetz “likes to make waves, but not that long. He wants to be in the newspaper more than helping people ”.
‘They say he showed pictures of sexual content on his phone to another legislator … If a boy does that at school, he is expelled from school. And the man does it in the same conference. Is that okay? Jacobson asked.
Gaetz, on the other hand, asked the White House to grant a pardon in the closing days of Trump’s presidency, according to a person familiar with the administration.
The insider said it was a preventative measure he and other Republican lawmakers were looking for. Gaetz made the request while the Justice Department was investigating his behavior and trying to determine whether he had violated sex trafficking laws. It’s unclear whether Gaetz touched on that topic when he made his request.
Trump claims Gaetz never apologized to him.
It is noteworthy that the Republican Party leadership did not come out to defend Gaetz and that there is already a Republican representative, Adam Kinzinger, who has asked for his resignation.