Matt Gaetz gets prime-time talkshow on hard-right outlet OANN

Former Florida Republican congressman Matt Gaetz has secured a prime-time slot at One America News Network (OANN), a broadcaster known for its staunch support of Donald Trump and controversial election coverage.

Gaetz, who rose to prominence as a combative Trump ally and was instrumental in ousting the former House speaker Kevin McCarthy, will host a nightly political talkshow beginning in January 2025.

Gaetz will anchor the one-hour political program branded The Matt Gaetz Show at 9pm ET and co-host a weekly video podcast with the OANN host Dan Ball, targeting younger audiences including millennials and gen Z.

The hiring comes after Gaetz’s tumultuous final months in Congress, which were marked by allegations of sexual misconduct and a failed nomination as attorney general. While a Department of Justice investigation resulted in no charges, the accusations effectively derailed his political trajectory.

It also follows a long-running and contentious House ethics committee investigation into Gaetz’s conduct, which had been examining allegations of sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and misuse of campaign funds.

The investigation came to an abrupt halt when Gaetz resigned from Congress, arguing that the committee loses jurisdiction over former members. The committee had also been wrestling with whether to share its report, before the House voted 206-198 against its release.

OANN, a network that gained notoriety for promoting unfounded claims about the 2020 election – leading to now-settled legal challenges from voting technology companies Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems – appears to be doubling down on its controversial approach to political commentary.

OANN gained notoriety for promoting unfounded claims about the 2020 election – leading to now-settled legal challenges from voting technology companies Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems. The network now appears to be doubling down on its controversial approach to political commentary.

The network’s president, Charles Herring, praised Gaetz as a “principled leader”, highlighting his potential to bring “insider access” and “America-first values” to their programming. The network has reportedly expanded its reach to more than 160 million new homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa in 2024, the company wrote in a press release.

While Gaetz says he has ruled out returning to Congress, speculation continues about his state-wide political ambitions, with Forbes reporting the formation of a political action committee with apparent ties to Gaetz called Florida Firebrand Pac.

Gaetz is also still on the personalized video sharing platform Cameo, where he is offering holiday specials to record custom videos for about $400, and has even encouraged the suspected shooter of the United Healthcare CEO to consider using the platform as well.