'Creepy' Matt Gaetz Sounds Off on Bikini Photo of Donald Trump's White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

Matt Gaetz sparked a late-night swirl of confusion and criticism after chiming in on an old bikini photo of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. The reaction hit social media fast, with many wondering why the congressman felt the need to jump into the conversation at all.

It all kicked off when an X account called “Godly Nation” — which, according to X’s new account info feature, appears to be based in Africa — posted a beach snapshot of Leavitt from years before she joined Donald Trump’s team.

The account wrote, “Is this photo is suitable for someone serving as White House Press Secretary? Let’s see,” while tagging it with a winking emoji.

Gaetz, 43, decided to throw himself into the mix right around midnight on Monday, December 1.

The Florida congressman, who is married and was once floated by Trump for attorney general before allegations knocked that idea off the table, reposted the picture, which showed Leavitt in a bikini on the beach with a friend, and gave a simple, “Yea,” plus a 100 percent emoji.

The responses quickly turned from the picture to Gaetz himself.

“@ask_caesar on a scale of 1 to 100 how creepy is Matt Gaetz?” one user asked.

Another jumped in with, “@grok what are the criminal charges Matt Gaetz has had?”

A third wrote, “God forbid someone working at the White House enjoyed a day at the beach.”

One critic added, “Yes - from a man accused of paying for s-- with underage girls. Now that's funny!”

Someone else quipped, “She’s over 18 Matt, you wouldn’t be interested.”

As OK! previously reported, newly unsealed court documents revealed additional details involving the then-17-year-old girl who accused Gaetz of statutory rape.

The files surfaced as part of a civil case tied to former Republican Florida state representative Chris Dorworth, who was contacted by the teen’s lawyers in late 2022, according to The New York Times.

The unnamed victim is referred to in the documents as a “then-homeless 17-year-old high schooler.”

At the time, she was a junior working at McDonald’s while living part-time in a homeless shelter with a parent. The court records state she claimed she was 18 and signed up for a “sugar dating website” hoping to earn money to pay for braces.

This update follows a December 2024 bipartisan House Ethics Committee investigation that found “substantial evidence” Gaetz had s-- with a 17-year-old girl at a 2017 party. The 37-page report alleged the congressman “violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges and obstruction of Congress.” Investigators also said Gaetz spent more than $90,000 on twelve women between 2017 and 2020.

According to CBS Mornings, “The committee also obtained testimony that alleges Gaetz had s-- twice with a 17-year-old girl. The victim told the committee she recalled receiving $400 in cash from Gates, which she understood to be payment for s--.”

The outlet added that Gaetz was accused of using a fake email from his Capitol Hill office to buy marijuana and reportedly referred to drugs as “party favors,” “rolls” and “vitamins.”