Matt Gaetz moves on to make $500 fan videos on Cameo after his attorney general bid 'didn't work'

WASHINGTON, DC: Florida Republican Matt Gaetz has found a new venture following his withdrawal from consideration as Donald Trump's attorney general.

The former congressman has launched an account on Cameo, where fans can pay for personalized video messages.

Matt Gaetz Cameo's bio boasts about firing Kevin McCarthy

This move comes shortly after Matt Gaetz withdrew his nomination amid a House ethics committee investigation, which included allegations of misconduct he has consistently denied.

Gaetz’s Cameo profile reflects his departure from Congress last week, a step taken ahead of the release of the ethics report.

The profile states, “I served in Congress,” signaling his resignation. “Trump nominated me to be US attorney general (that didn’t work out),” his profile says according to Daily Beast.

It also references his role in triggering former House speaker Kevin McCarthy's removal in October 2023, stating, “Once I fired the House speaker," he has put in the bio as per the report.

Gaetz’s push to remove McCarthy stemmed from disputes over spending and government operations.

However, McCarthy alleged the real motivation was Gaetz’s anger over the speaker’s refusal to halt the ethics investigation.

According to The Guardian, Gaetz was charging $250 a video on Cameo but had raised that price to $500.

Matt Gaetz withdraws from attorney general bid citing 'distraction'

Matt Gaetz announced his withdrawal from the attorney general nomination process in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, November 21.

“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” he wrote.

“There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General,” Gaetz continued.

He also expressed unwavering support for Trump, stating, “I remain fully committed to see that Donald J Trump is the most successful President in history."

"I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America," he concluded. 

Former politicians who used Cameo 

Matt Gaetz joins a growing list of former politicians turning to Cameo after leaving office.

Cameo allows users to purchase messages for various occasions, including greetings, advice, or even roasts.

As noted by the publications, the platform appeals to a broad audience and also includes videos for pep talk, answering a question, or wishing someone a happy birthday.

Notably, former New York Rep George Santos also ventured into Cameo following his expulsion from Congress in December 2023.

Santos, who faces prison time for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, initially charged $400 per video, reportedly earning more than his congressional salary of $174,000. 

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel took advantage of Santos’ Cameo presence, ordering videos using aliases and featuring them in a segment titled 'Will Santos Say It?'