Gaetz wasn’t always against leadership. Just look at his time in Tallahassee.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Matt Gaetz is leading the resistance against Kevin McCarthy — but the Florida Republican wasn’t always an anti-establishment rebel.
Just ask the lawmakers and political operatives who knew him when he served in the Florida Legislature. They say the Panhandle Republican could cause people headaches but was known for helping leadership.
“Every speaker in Florida knew he could be a pain in the ass, but they handled him well. He ran a lot of leadership bills that passed,” said a Florida political operative who has known Gaetz since he served in the Florida House for six years beginning in 2010.
Gaetz, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, is capturing a moment right...
