The debut of Matt Gaetz’s talk show on One America News Network had more people talking about the former Congressman’s appearance than his guests.
Gaetz, who recently backed out from being considered for Attorney General by Donald Trump, appeared on the conservative network alongside former colleague Lauren Boebert as the main guest on The Matt Gaetz Show.
However, it was Gaetz himself that was making news, with many suggesting that his face appeared to have had work done.
The ex-Florida representative has faced ridicule from liberals about his looks before, especially during his speech at the Republican National Convention.
Once more, Gaetz was targeted by critics on the left during his initial appearance on OANN, with some alleging that he had received botox or some form of cosmetic surgery.
‘Okay, even Michael Jackson thinks Matt Gaetz is getting too much work done on his face,’ wrote one liberal on X.
JoJofromJerz asked: ‘Why is Matt Gaetz’ face eating itself?’
Liberal journalist Ron Filipkowski snarked: ‘I see Matt Gaetz went in to ask for the ‘Wayne Newton Face’ before his OAN debut tonight.’
‘Matt Gaetz got a little too into the Christmas spirit and now permanently looks like he belongs in Whoville,’ wrote another anti-Trump voice, referencing the characters in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
One conservative seemed willing to not only defend Gaetz but ask that people give his show a chance to stick to substance.
‘Matt Gaetz debuted his show on OAN tonight. And what is the media obsessing about? Not his policies, or his transition to media, but whether he got Botox,’ wrote Ethan Townsend.
‘Maybe focus less on his face and more on the state of the country. Is that too much to ask?’
The one-time Donald Trump pick to serve as attorney general launched The Matt Gaetz Show as part of the network’s primetime lineup after withdrawing to serve in the upcoming administration amid intense pushback from senators.
‘OAN is blazing a trail in media, embracing not just traditional news but the platforms where Americans are going—streaming, apps, podcasts, and social media,’ Gaetz said in a statement.
‘I couldn’t be more thrilled to join OAN’s forward-thinking team and be part of this revolutionary expansion,’ he continued.
The one-hour political show will air five days a week starting Thursday.
Gaetz was nominated by the president-elect on November 13 to serve as the top law enforcement official in a move that shocked even some of Trump’s own supporters.
The then-lawmaker was under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct involving a minor and illicit drug use.
Upon being nominated, Gaetz promptly resigned from the House, throwing the House Ethics Committee’s report on its probe into his conduct into limbo.
He was accused of paying two woman more than $10,000 for sex and inquired about them bringing ‘party favors’ which was understood as drugs.
Gaetz had also been under investigation by the FBI for sex trafficking involving a minor, but the case was closed without charges being filed.
He denied all allegations, but his nomination faced stiff opposition from some Republican senators on Capitol Hill.
Some GOP lawmakers publicly criticized his nomination as not serious while others signaled behind closed doors that they would not be able to support his confirmation.
Gaetz withdrew from being a nominee on November 21 after it was ‘unfairly becoming a distraction’ to the Trump transition team.
At the time, the president-elect responded Gaetz ‘has a wonderful future’ but did not indicate where he could be headed.
It sparked questions over whether he would perhaps join the incoming administration in a role that did not require Senate confirmation or if he would return to the House with the incoming Congress having won reelection in November.
But Gaetz made clear he would not be returning to Capitol Hill in the new year.
In addition to launching The Matt Gaetz Show on OAN, the former congressman will also co-host a weekly podcast with Dan Ball, host of ‘Real America with Dan Ball.’
Gaetz was first elected to Congress in 2016 and quickly became known as a disruptor and close supporter of Trump.
The same day he withdrew as Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, CNN had confronted Gaetz with new allegations.
They network reported that a woman told the House Ethics Committee she had sex as a 17-year-old high school girl with the then congressman twice at a party in 2017.
According to their report, the second alleged sexual encounter with Gaetz involved the teen and an adult woman.
Less than an hour after he was asked for comment, Gaetz announced he was dropping his name from consideration, the network said.
Gaetz has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct.
Last week, the House Ethics Committee met to discuss the fate of its report on the former congressman’s alleged misconduct.
Democrats on the committee attempted to force a vote for the committee to release the ethics report, but those efforts were blocked by House Republicans.
