Marc A. Caputo reports:

While Trump served as president, [former Rep. Matt] Gaetz acted as his unofficial eyes and ears in Congress. During this campaign, he helped him prepare for his debates. Gaetz is close to Trump campaign manager and incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. Previously, the two worked closely together and helped rescue Ron DeSantis’s floundering 2018 gubernatorial campaign. Gaetz is also a frequent presence at Mar-a-Lago events, where he met his wife, Ginger Luckey, the sister of virtual-reality pioneer Palmer Luckey.

“The parade of horrible headlines would have destroyed anybody else,” said a friend, who pointed out Gaetz stayed in public office, repeatedly winning reelection to his North Florida congressional seat. While serving in Congress, Gaetz strategically plotted the demise of his hated rival Kevin McCarthy by holding his speakership hostage until McCarthy relented to a procedural move that Gaetz would later use to oust him.

Never one to let a grudge go, Gaetz despised McCarthy so much that he confronted him at the Republican National Convention this summer, mocking him for working the floor while the VIPs prepared for their time on stage. Trump wasn’t a fan of Gaetz’s decision to oust McCarthy, but the former president stayed out of it, partly out of respect for Gaetz’s power play.

“Gaetz is a tough son of a bitch. He’s my son of a bitch,” Trump recently told a confidant. [Continue reading…]