Speaking at a rally with former President Donald Trump over the weekend, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., doubled down on his promise to nominate the former president to lead the U.S. House.
“Give us the ability to fire Nancy Pelosi, take back the majority, impeach Joe Biden, and I’m going to nominate Donald J. Trump for speaker of the United States House of Representatives” Gaetz announced.
Gaetz has pledged in recent months to nominate Trump to serve as speaker and has been one of his foremost champions on Capitol Hill.
The son of former state Senate President Don Gaetz, the congressman was elected to his current post in 2016 after serving in the Florida House. Since 2020, Gaetz has been under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl. Former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg pled guilty to six charges, including sex trafficking with a minor, and is working with the federal investigation against Gaetz as part of a plea bargain.
Gaetz announced last week that he will run for a fourth term in 2022.
The Constitution is silent on whether or not the speaker of the House has to be a member of Congress. Over the years, members of Congress have voted for non-members to serve as speaker but none of these non-members ever was elected to the post.
