Matt Gaetz has become the focus of jokes and rumors that he used Botox after many noticed his face appeared very different at the RNC Wednesday night than in years past.
The comments came from seemingly everywhere, with observers saying the 42-year-old’s eyebrows were much more arched than usual.
Observers noticed the congressman looked different when he attended Donald Trump’s trial in May, left, than he did during his speech at the RNC Wednesday night, right.
Reuters
However, Gaetz’s eyebrows weren’t the only thing different. In addition to his face, which appeared to move very little during his rousing conference speech, many joked that he also had seemingly chubby cheekbones.
Claudia Conway, daughter of former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway and ex-husband George Conway, posted on X, “Am I high or did Matt Gaetz get crazy botox?” He later added, “I thought Matt Gaetz was against drag, but he seems to have warmed to it.”
Others in the media spoke similarly. Meidas Touch Editor-in-Chief Ron Filipkowski himself wondered, “WTF did Gaetz do to his face?” Add to a separate comment Filipkowski, another user added“Gaetz’s eyebrows are desperately trying to escape his face.”
Many people said Gaetz reminded them of a Las Vegas entertainer who had changed his 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 a Vegas act,” said one observer, possibly referring to Siegfried & Roy. Another streaked, “Good sir. Matt Gaetz transforms into Wayne Newton. He needs to stop botox and cheeks.”
Many shared side-by-side photos of old snaps of Gaetz and how he appeared at the RNC. One of the most popular posts compared Gaetz of old and new with how Real Housewives stars evolve over the years.
Even Gaetz’s would-be opponent, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a fellow Republican, had a few words for the lawmaker after his speech — though he stopped short of spreading Botox rumors.
“He seems very unfazed,” McCarthy said. “A lot of people are worried about him, and I’m not sure if he was up to something. But I hope he gets the help he needs.”
Dr. Benjamin Caughlin, a facial plastic surgeon from Impressions Face and Body in Chicago, told The Daily Beast on Thursday that he suspects Gaetz had some work done. Specifically, he said that Gaetz appears to have a “Spock deformity,” which he was named after Star Trek character because it might resemble a “Klingon look”.
“It is when there is treatment only in the central frontalis muscle, neglecting the lateral areas,” Caughlin said in an email. “Botox has addressed the depressants, but left the later elevators untouched.”
Caughlin noted that Gaetz “also had some fillers” and “a tan” that made him look a little different.
“He didn’t necessarily overdo it, it just all depends on the placement,” the doctor added.
Gaetz hasn’t directly addressed the Botox rumors, but he did post a photo of himself from the conference — and pinned it to his X profile—where he appeared to resemble his old self.
The congressman from Florida talked about Botox previouslyarguing 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 troubling to me than the indictment of Senator Menendez, who is holding gold bars,” he said at the time.
Gaetz’s office did not respond to an email from The Daily Beast asking if the Botox rumors were true.
