In a recent appearance on Tucker Carlson’s podcast, former Republican Congressman and now right-wing television host, Matt Gaetz, shared a striking prediction regarding the forthcoming midterm elections. Gaetz expressed to Carlson his belief that the Republicans will lose their grip on the House of Representatives, allowing the Democratic minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, to step into the role of Speaker. He suggested that this shift would backfire on the Democrats, resulting in their downfall in the subsequent presidential election due to excessive overreach during the latter half of President Trump’s second term.

Gaetz speculated that the Democrats, upon winning the midterms, will initiate a series of disruptive shutdowns targeting Trump, which would fatigue the nation and lead to JD Vance being elected president in 2028. Gaetz also proposed an alternative scenario where Steve Bannon, another prominent figure in right-wing media, could enter the presidential race, advocating an economic platform reminiscent of Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax policies. Gaetz, who previously represented Florida in Congress, stepped down last year following a brief stint as a nominee for Trump’s attorney general post after the 2024 presidential election.

The White House retracted Gaetz’s nomination amid resistance from several senators, including some within his own party, who were unsettled by allegations that he had paid underage women for sexual encounters. Gaetz has consistently denied these accusations and has not faced any charges. In his conversation with Carlson, Gaetz addressed the allegations outlined in a 2024 House Ethics report, asserting that “Israel was involved” in an operation intended to silence him. He expressed concern over claims that individuals funded by the Israeli government were part of an alleged criminal extortion scheme against him as a U.S. congressman.

‘There was never really an effort to figure out what the government of Israel’s involvement was in this matter. But you know that the government of Israel was involved because this was an Israeli government official who was involved in this,’ Gaetz continued. Notably, Gaetz told Carlson that he still considered himself pro-Israel, but believed “what the Netanyahu government is doing to Israel is bad for Israel..’ After Gaetz departed Congress, his seat was filled by former Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis.