Matt Gaetz is now selling personalized videos for followers and fans after stepping down from Congress and withdrawing his name from consideration as the country's next Attorney General.
What Happened: As a member of Congress, Matt Gaetz had an annual salary of $174,000. The Florida Republican was in line for a pay raise as Donald Trump's first pick to be the next attorney general, a position that pays $221,400 annually, but he withdrew his name due to concerns he would not win a congressional vote.
As Gaetz contemplates his next move, which could include running for Governor of Florida, he is now collecting hundreds of dollars from fans and followers by making personalized videos on the Cameo platform.
Following a move made famous by former Congressman George Santos, Gaetz has made his services available on Cameo where he offers personalized video messages for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, pep talks, roasts and as gifts to others.
"You'll have the chance to customize your request for Matt Gaetz, like asking them to mention inside jokes, share words of wisdom, or work in their signature catchphrases. Don't be afraid to get creative with your request, especially for celebrations like weddings, retirements, or bachelor and bachelorette parties that call for a good laugh," the description on Cameo reads.
Gaetz is currently charging $500 for the Cameos with an average length of 1 minute and 27 seconds per video. Gaetz has a 5-star rating from 12 reviews, and videos are delivered within 24 hours of payment.
For comparison, Santos initially priced his Cameos at $75, later increasing the fee to $200 before ultimately raising it to $500.
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Why It's Important: Many close to President-elect Trump had high hopes for Gaetz potentially serving as attorney general.
Tesla CEO and co-lead of the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency Elon Musk had high praise for the former Congressman.
"Matt Gaetz has three critical assets that are needed for the AG role: a big brain, a spine of steel and an axe to grind. He is the Judge Dredd America needs to clean up a corrupt system and put powerful bad actors in prison. Gaetz will be our Hammer of Justice," Musk previously tweeted.
Some on social media were quick to call out Musk being wrong on Gaetz as he is now unemployed and not the hammer of justice Trump and the Tesla CEO may have hoped for.
Several videos shared publicly by Cameo users feature Gaetz discussing his past consideration as an attorney general hopeful.
"And so I can't – like – order Predator strikes on my enemies, as much as I would like to. For now. But I can order you to have as much fun as possible," Gaetz said in one video, later clarifying that an attorney general can't order strikes on their enemies, as reported by the New York Post.
Another Cameo video sees Gaetz telling a fan "I know you were bummed out when the news broke that I wouldn't be the next Attorney General."
While Republicans won a majority in Congress in the 2024 election, several GOP members appeared hesitant to support Gaetz for the position of attorney general.
Gaetz previously faced a Justice Department inquiry about alleged sex trafficking, drug activities and sex with minors. The House Ethics Committee was investigating Gaetz over similar activities, but after the Congressman resigned they no longer had any power over him.
Cameo videos could serve as a short-term stopgap for Gaetz as he contemplates his next move. They could also serve as an income source for the newly unemployed politician. Santos previously said he made more in his first seven days doing Cameo videos than his annual $174,000 Congressional salary.
"I'm still going to be in the fight, but it's going to be from a new perch," Gaetz recently said, stating he would not return to Congress after withdrawing his name for attorney general.
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Photo: Aaron of L.A. Photography/Shutterstock.com
