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Rep. Matt Gaetz scraps plans to attend Trump 2024 announcement

By
Caitlin Doornbos
Published Nov. 15, 2022
Updated Nov. 15, 2022, 6:16 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON — Diehard pro-Trump Rep. Matt Gaetz canceled his plans to attend the former president’s launch of his 2024 campaign Tuesday night, first citing bad weather and later the House GOP leadership vote.

Gaetz (R-Fla.), who had been one of a handful of Republican lawmakers expected to attend, told reporters he would be there only “in spirit” because “weather is not looking good for his flight down from D.C. to Florida,” according to a tweet by Associated Press correspondent Farnoush Amiri.

The weather in Washington was dreary Tuesday, with rain falling intermittently from an overcast sky, but Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in northern Virginia — the closest to the Capitol — was operating normally, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

National Review reporter John McCormack questioned Gaetz’s excuse, tweeting images of the forecast for Washington and Palm Beach, Fla. (sunny and low 80s), side by side along with the FAA update for Reagan National.

“This is Gaetz saying he can’t go to Mar-a-Lago because he has to comb his hair,” added McCormack, referencing the lawmaker’s distinctive coif.

“Sorry, boo, can’t make it. Have a headache! Will hit you up later. Really wish I could be there, but have fun. Miss you!” mocked the Daily Beast media reporter Justin Baragona.

“’The weather is not looking good’ is a hilarious excuse,” agreed journalist and actor Ben Dreyfuss. “What is this, the DC of Die Hard II, where there’s only one airport within a thousand miles?”

Rep. Matt Gaetz
The weather in Washington was dreary Tuesday, with rain falling intermittently from an overcast sky. Getty Images

A spokesman for Gaetz told The Post Tuesday evening the 40-year-old congressman canceled his trip due to the extented vote meeting, which ended roughly four hours before Trump’s scheduled announcement at 9 p.m.

“Congressman Gaetz was hoping the weather in Washington, DC would delay his scheduled flight to Mar-a-Lago for today’s announcement to avoid a time conflict,” the spokesman said. “Unfortunately, because of the timing of both the scheduled House leadership vote and his flight, he is unable to attend President Trump’s event tonight.”

Gaetz wrote an op-ed in the Daily Caller last week supporting President Trump’s speculated run for President in 2024. 

Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on October 09, 2021 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Diehard pro-Trump Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) canceled his plans to attend the former president’s launch of his 2024 campaign Tuesday night. Getty Images

While he has not publicly pulled his support for the 76-year-old Trump, his cancellation comes after a Morning Consult/Politico poll published Tuesday showed that 65% of registered voters said Trump should “probably” or “definitely” not run — with 53% saying he “definitely” should not.

The survey was taken Nov. 10-14, just days after Republicans underperformed in last week’s midterm elections — a failing that many blamed on Trump after several of the candidates he supported lost their races, including Dr. Mehmet Oz in the Pennsylvania Senate contest and Kari Lake in the Arizona governor’s race.