House Bids Goodbye to Matt Gaetz

House Republicans must be breathing a sigh of relief at Gaetz’s exit.

The cartoon above was created by DonkeyHotey for WhoWhatWhy from these images: Ode to Wajahat Ali, “You elect clowns you get a circus,” Matt Gaetz caricature (DonkeyHotey / Flickr — CC BY 2.0 DEED), Jim Jordan caricature (DonkeyHotey / Flickr — CC BY 2.0 DEED), Lauren Boebert caricature (DonkeyHotey / Flickr — CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED), clown (Mohamedwardany / Wikimedia — CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED), flag (Leeturtle / Wikimedia -CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED), logo (Republican Party / Wikimedia), body (Vidi dole / Wikimedia — CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED), body (Planalto Palace / Wikimedia — CC BY 2.0 DEED), banner (Granpar / Wikimedia — CC BY 3.0 DEED), carousel (Jocelyn / Flickr — CC BY 2.0 DEED), and Capitol (USCapitol / Wikimedia).

After a tenure marked by continuous controversy and occasionally staunch conservatism, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has officially left Congress.

While former Representative Gaetz announced his resignation in November when President-elect Donald Trump named him as a potential nominee, not everyone was convinced Gaetz would actually leave Congress once his nomination fell through.

“Can Matt Gaetz return to Congress after withdrawing as AG pick?,” fretted John Parkinson, Lauren Peller, and Brittany Shepard for ABC News on November 21, 2024. “A special election to fill the expected vacancy has not yet been scheduled.”

As they and many others noted at the time, Gaetz could have rescinded his resignation and showed up to take the oath of office in January. It wouldn’t be entirely off-brand.

Gaetz, a figurehead of the hard-right Freedom Caucus, has made waves since first being elected in 2016, but his departure — amid increasing frustration from his own party — signals a shift in the Republican House dynamics.

Known for his fiery rhetoric and unwavering loyalty to former President Donald Trump, Gaetz often clashed with GOP leadership. His willingness to defy party norms — from his vocal opposition to…