Matt Gaetz's Return To Politics Could See Him Land a Top Florida Job

After being the only Donald Trump candidate to not get confirmed to the job he was nominated for, Matt Gaetz's political future now seems to start getting clearer, as he is reportedly well-positioned to be Florida's next attorney general.

Gaetz has not voiced his intention to take the job, but new polling reported by Axios shows him with a lead against current Attorney General James Uthmeier in a hypothetical primary. Concretely, Gaetz would get 39% of the votes compared to Uthmeier's 21% in a survey of likely Republican voters conducted by Tony Fabrizio, a top GOP-related pollster. However, 40% of the voters said they were undecided, making the potential race less clear.

The post could be a way back to politics for Gaetz, especially after President Donald Trump endorsed Florida Rep. Byron Donalds in the state's 2026 gubernatorial election. Gaetz had fueled rumors that he was considering a run, saying "lots of Florida Republicans would be pretty excited" about it and citing a poll showing him with an early lead.

However, Trump's endorsement of Donalds could very much tip the scale given his influence in the Republican party, especially in his home state. "I am hearing that Highly Respected Congressman Byron Donalds is considering running for Governor of Florida, a State that I love, and WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024," Trump wrote. "Byron would have a BIG Voice, and would work closely with me to advance our America First Agenda," Trump said in February. He concluded his post with an enthusiastic call to action: "RUN, BYRON, RUN!"

Perhaps aware of how Trump's endorsement of Donalds could affect his chances, Gaetz addressed the possibility, telling Axios that "sometimes the AG itch doesn't go away with one scratch."

Gaetz withdrew from consideration to be Trump's attorney general amid a media storm surrounding a House Ethics Committee report accusing him of a range of misconduct. The allegations in the report include several instances of illegal drug use, as well as paying women and one 17-year-old girl for sex. Gaetz has consistently denied the claims and has since been working as a news host at conservative network One America News Network.