GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz Raised Eyebrows With His Eyebrows at the RNC
As any fan of awards shows and red carpets knows, the appeal of watching grand proceedings doesn’t just come from who is actually announced as winners of whatever statue is doled out. The winners and losers of the Emmys, say, are easy to discern and record by year in history books. But the winners of the Emmys red carpet, for example, are not as cut and dry. Debate and discussion of the ensembles and glam of attendees of these events is part of the awards circuit, with stars making statements with their sartorial choices beyond what any acceptance speech could.
Why shouldn’t the Republican National Convention get the same treatment? Sure, the “fashion” on display this week in Milwaukee is largely J.Crew suit separates and toilet paper ear ornamentation, but it’s still possible for certain bits of glam to rise above the sensibly suited din. Florida Republican congressman Rep. Matt Gaetz proved that when he spoke during the third night of the convention Wednesday evening, passionately characterizing Republican nominee Donald Trump as “unstoppable,” with the ability to bestow that unstoppability upon America as well, should he be reelected.
What raised the eyebrows of many viewers, however, was Gaetz's own brow.
Many commenters speculated whether Gaetz, who is currently the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation around possible sexual misconduct, drug use, and other governmental no-nos, had done a bit of cosmetic work before his big speech. Side-by-side photos of Gaetz on Tuesday and Wednesday seemed to have a markedly different appearance. Where faint lines could be seen on Tuesday, Gaetz’s forehead on Wednesday appeared as smooth as freshly fallen snow, leading many to speculate that the congressman’s beauty came with the help of an aesthetician.
It's generally considered rude to comment on other people's appearances, but let's play by Gaetz's rules, under which it's permissible to publicly share your belief that pro-choice voters are "odious inside and out," "look like a thumb," and are "like 5’2”, 350 pounds." He had some choice words about their weak ankles and dietary choices, too. So it seems that eyebrows should be more than fair game, by his own standards.
“more botox than every drag queen combined mind you,” activist Matt Bernstein wrote on X (formerly called Twitter) alongside a clip of Gaetz, who has vocally opposed pro-LGBTQ+-friendly events like drag queen story hours.
A parody account dedicated to the congressman’s upper cranium, @MattGaetz4head, was created on the platform in February 2021, and appeared reinvigorated after the Florida rep’s speech, sharing memes of Gaetz as the Burger King king, Liberace, Willy Wonka, a box of Saran Wrap, and more, all with an exaggerated expanse of forehead real estate.
Journalist Peter Hamby kept his thoughts brief, simply tweeting, “Matt Gaetz (R-Botox).”
Alt-weekly The Miami New Times called up plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Salzhauer (nicknamed “Dr. Miami") for his theories. He posited that it could indeed be the result of earlier Botox that had suddenly kicked in (the facial paralysis of Botox does not take effect immediately), a thread lift (a non-surgical procedure that has been nicknamed “the lunchtime facelift” for its lack of downtime), a fresh eyebrow shaping that led to an ultra-arched and ultra-fierce brow, good old-fashioned makeup, or some combination of the above.
“I mean, looks good,” Salzhauer told the New Times, before adding, “Except for the position of the brows being too high. And, like, surprised and weird looking.”
Gaetz’s hair and makeup choices aren’t the only things that have drawn comparisons to reality TV stars: His long-running feud with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy continued apace this week, with Gaetz taunting his former colleague on the convention floor, including interrupting McCarthy in the middle of a television interview. It’s just another installment in Gaetz’s high-drama run in Congress, prompting a bystander to comment, “Shut up, Gaetz. Don't be an asshole.” In response to video framed as Gaetz being “physically held back by security,” Wisconsin Rep. Derrick Van Orden, also a Republican, scoffed at his colleague's behavior in a tweet.
“He pulled a ‘Hold me back bro’ move to look like a tough guy because he is in fact, is a little bitch,” Van Orden wrote.
Press representatives for Congressman Gaetz did not respond to Vanity Fair’s requests for comment.
