Representative Matt Gaetz‘s appearance at the Republican National Convention is sparking a flood of jokes and memes.
Gaetz spoke at the convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, reaffirming his loyalties to GOP nominee and former President Donald Trump and harshly criticizing President Joe Biden. But spectators seemed more focused on how the congressman looked, questioning his unmoving forehead and high cheekbones, which some speculated was the result of recent Botox.
“Matt Gaetz (R-Botox),” journalist Peter Hamby wrote on X, formerly Twitter, while poking fun at the notation used to indicate a politician’s party affiliation and the state they represent.
“Matt Gaetz looks like he’s about to open a white tiger-themed magic show on the Las Vegas strip,” journalist Emily Zanotti tweeted.
“Gaetz got a little carried away with the Botox before his big speech,” Ron Filipkowski, editor of Medias Touch, said.
Matthew Gertz, a senior fellow at Media Matters for America who is often mistaken for the congressman online, also wrote on the social media platform, “i did not take botox please stop asking me whether i took botox.”
Newsweek reached out to Gaetz via email for comment on Wednesday night.
Gaetz looked strikingly different just a day earlier, when he attended the convention but did not address the crowds. On Tuesday, his face looked less full and lines could be seen on his forehead as the congressman got animated or expressive while speaking.
Another user compared Gaetz to the puppets in a 2004 action comedy film, writing, “Matt Gaetz looks like someone from Team America World Police came to life.”
Others used his Wednesday appearance to criticize his position on transgender policies and opposition to drag shows.
“Using this much botox/filler is gender affirming care, btw,” comedian Rohita Kadambi wrote.
“more botox than every drag queen combined mind you,” LGBTQ+ activist Matt Bernstein tweeted.
Some made comments guessing how many units of Botox Gaetz received, saying “i’m guessing 50+ units of botox in that massive forehead,” while others joked that the congressman got a bad deal on injectables, writing, “Reminder to never get your Botox from Groupon.”
“Matt Gaetz with Botox was not on my 2024 bingo card,” a third user tweeted.
During his impassioned speech, Gaetz made a joke about recently convicted Senator Bob Menendez, saying that under the Biden administration, “inflation has gotten so bad, you can no longer bribe Democrat senators with cash alone. You have to use gold bars just so the bribes hold value.”
Menendez, a Democrat, was convicted Tuesday on federal corruption charges, including charges that stemmed from the exchange of gold bars for his help in enriching three New Jersey business owners and benefiting the Egyptian and Qatari governments.
Gaetz also clashed with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday after the Florida Republican tried to provoke his former colleague, tapping McCarthy’s shoulder and repeatedly asking, “What night are you speaking? Are you speaking tonight?” Someone in the proximity is heard telling Gaetz to “shut up” and “don’t be an a-hole.”
Later, when Gaetz returned to taunt McCarthy during his interview with CNN, the former House Speaker said Gaetz lead the effort to remove him from GOP leadership has “got an ethics complaint about sleeping with 17-year-old girl.” Gaetz is currently being investigated by the House Ethics Committee over allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct and illegal drug use.
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