Former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz debuted his eponymous show on One America News Network Thursday night, but much of the attention wasn’t focused on what the MAGA figure had to say.
Instead, many viewers responded by asking “What happened to his face?”
Some blame the Internet.
“You all need to fire your makeup artists immediately,” wrote Savannah Hernandez of Turning Point USA.
“Fire that makeup artist!” another X user chimed in. “Could they have done better, or did they intentionally make you look like a villain? The lighting and makeup have such a huge impact, it’s not the best.
Nick Fuentes, the far-right white supremacist podcast host who was charged with assault last month, commented simply: “Yeah.”
Others have mentioned how Botox might play a role.
The then-congressman’s appearance at last July’s Republican National Convention prompted a similar response, with plastic surgery experts invited to weigh in.
Board-certified dermatologist Corey Hartman tells Esquire Then Gates’ appearance was partly due to the neuromodulator’s “overly heavy hands and poor positioning.”
“It’s too forehead-heavy and not lateral enough to prevent Spock Eye,” Hartman told the outlet.
“Also,” he added, “glabella injections [the vertical lines between the eyebrows] Using an older technique, the eyebrows are lowered to make him look more threatening than usual.
Putting all speculation about Gaetz’s appearance aside, Gaetz did have some political news on his show, which focused on a key congressional vote on Friday that will determine whether House Speaker Mike Johnson retains the gavel.
Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie told Gates he would not vote for Johnson even if his colleagues physically tortured him.
“You can pull out all my fingernails,” Marcy said. “You can stick bamboo in it. You can start chopping off my fingers. I’m not going to vote for Mike Johnson tomorrow. You can take it to the bank.
Massie added that there could be as many as five others who could oppose President-elect Donald Trump, who last month endorsed Johnson for the position.
Rep. Victoria Spaatz of Indiana also told Gates on Thursday that she had not yet made a decision.
Johnson could only afford to lose one vote in the closely divided House.
Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert joined Gaetz in making the case for Texas Rep. Chip Roy to chair the House Rules Committee if Johnson agrees to appoint him Holding the position would secure enough votes for his re-election.
The move will almost certainly spark a rebellion among more moderate members of the House Republican caucus.
