On Wednesday, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) took aim at the House Ethics Committee for secretly voting to release its report on his conduct, but it was one particular line of his defense that sent social media into a frenzy.
While strongly denying allegations that he paid an underage girl for sex years ago, Gaetz made a peculiar admission that left many observers puzzled.
“In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated – even some I never dated but who asked,” Gaetz said. This statement quickly drew incredulous reactions on X (formerly Twitter), with critics questioning why Gaetz was financially supporting women he apparently wasn’t even romantically involved with.
Canadian journalist Stephen Tustin didn’t hold back his sarcasm. “‘I often sent funds to women’?” Tustin remarked. “How do they get away with this? I wouldn’t let this chud within 10 feet of a daughter, but the GOP will likely invite him to babysit their kids, for sure. And the right-wing custom content media will exonerate him.”
Huffington Post journalist Jonathan Nicholson echoed the sentiment, mocking the phrasing. “‘In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated…’ I… I think there’s a name for that.”
MSNBC legal analyst Joyce Vance also weighed in, casting doubt on Gaetz’s attempt to frame this as normal behavior. “No man I ever dated ‘often sent funds’ to me,” Vance observed. “Nor did I send funds to men I dated. Gaetz is talking about a business proposition here, not a social life.”
Professional statistician John Panaretos was equally baffled, pointing to the strangeness of Gaetz’s wording. “But what is the meaning of this?” he asked. “‘In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated – even some I never dated but who asked.’”
Even some of Gaetz’s followers appeared bewildered. Twitter user Denise Rachel directly responded, writing, “You sent funds to women you dated and did not date?? So many questions…”
The line has sparked widespread skepticism, with critics suggesting that Gaetz’s admission raises more questions than it answers. While Gaetz continues to deny the more serious allegations, his unusual explanation has only fueled further scrutiny, adding another layer to the controversy surrounding him.