Matt Gaetz has become the center of jokes and rumors he used Botox after many noted his face appeared very different at the RNC on Wednesday night from years past.
The comments came from seemingly everywhere, with observers saying the 42-year-old’s eyebrows were much more arched than usual.
Observers noted the congressman looked different when he attended Donald Trump’s trial in May, left, than he did during his speech at the RNC on Wednesday night, right.
ReutersGaetz’s eyebrows weren’t the only things different, however. In addition to his face, which appeared to move very little during his rousing convention speech, many joked that he also had seemingly plumper cheekbones, too.
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Claudia Conway, the daughter of former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway and her ex-husband George Conway, posted to X, “Am I high or did Matt Gaetz get crazy botox?” She later added, “I thought Matt Gaetz was against drag but it looks like he’s warmed up to it.”
Others in media spoke similarly. Ron Filipkowski, editor-in-chief of Meidas Touch, himself questioned: “WTF did Gaetz do to his face?” Adding on to a separate Filipkowski comment, another user added, “Gaetz’ eyebrows are desperately trying to escape his face.”
Multiple people said Gaetz reminded them of a Las Vegas performer who’d altered their face to stay in the game.
Wayne Newton smiles after performing the National Anthem at an NFL game in Las Vegas in 2022.
Reuters/Kirby Lee“Matt Gaetz is two white tigers and a life partner from having a Vegas act,” said one observer, likely referencing Siegfried & Roy. Another ribbed, “Good lord. Matt Gaetz is transforming into Wayne Newton. He needs to lay off the Botox and cheek fillers.”
Many shared side-by-side photos of Gaetz’s old headshots and how he appeared at the RNC. One of the more popular posts compared the Gaetz of old and new to how Real Housewives stars evolve over the years.
Even Gaetz’ arch rival, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a fellow Republican, had some words for the congressman after his speech—though he stopped short of spreading Botox rumors.
“He looks very unhinged,” McCarthy said. “A lot of people have concerns about him, and I’m not sure if he was on something. But I do hope that he gets the help that he needs.”
Dr. Benjamin Caughlin, a facial plastic surgeon from Impressions Face and Body in Chicago, told The Daily Beast on Thursday he suspects Gaetz has had some work done. Specifically, he said Gaetz appears to have a “Spock deformity,” which is named after the Star Trek character because it can resemble a “Klingon appearance.”
“It’s when there is only treatment in the central frontalis muscle, neglecting the lateral areas,” Caughlin said in an email. “The botox has addressed the depressors, but left the later elevators intact.”
Caughlin estimated that Gaetz also “has had some fillers” and “a suntan” that’s made him appear a bit different.
“He didn’t necessarily overdo it, it just really all comes down to placement,” the doctor added.
Gaetz hasn’t addressed the Botox rumors directly, but he posted a photo of himself from the convention—and pinned it to his X profile—where he appeared to look the same as his old self.
The Florida congressman has spoken about Botox previously, asserting in a hearing last year that he wasn’t concerned about former Rep. George Santos using public money for Botox when Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) faced much more serious allegations.
“Whatever Mr. Santos did with Botox or OnlyFans is far less concerning to me than the indictment against Sen. Menendez, who’s holding gold bars,” he said at the time.
Gaetz’s office did not respond to an email by The Daily Beast asking if the Botox rumors were true.
