'Beyond parody': Internet ridicules 'grifter' Matt Gaetz as he hawks 'wonder drug'
Critics couldn't help but mock disgraced former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) on Friday over his eyebrow-raising new partnership with a pharmacy, in which he hawks an antiparasitic drug popularized by right-wing influencers during the pandemic to "Make America Healthy Again."
Gaetz, a one-time nominee to become Donald Trump's attorney general, resigned from Congress in November, days ahead of a House Ethics Committee vote on whether to release a damning report into his alleged misconduct.
On Dec. 23, the ethics panel released the report anyway, alleging he paid multiple women — including an underage girl — for sex, used illegal drugs, including in his Capitol Hill office, and violated state laws related to sexual misconduct. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and claimed the allegations were a "smear" campaign from political foes.
Gaetz recently landed a gig on One America News Network, where he hosts a nightly eponymous show.
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And it was an advertisement on that show that caught the attention of social media users.
"Medical freedom is important. You've probably heard about ivermectin, the medication that has been making the waves for years and helping so many people during COVID, but let's be honest, finding a reliable source to get it, that's not as easy as it should be," Gaetz said on his show.
He then launched into an advertisement for an online pharmacy based in Boca Raton, Florida, that he touted makes its ivermectin medications in the U.S. — "not imported from India or China."
"It's high-quality, American-made and backed by a pharmacy that takes care of everything," Gaetz shared, later warning that the "system is making it harder to access medications that could save lives. And we've seen how quickly access to medications can be restricted."
The drug is used to treat various parasitic infections in both humans and animals. In humans, ivermectin is mainly used to treat parasitic worm infections, skin conditions such as scabies and rosacea, and head lice infestations.
It has been touted as a "wonder drug" for helping treat river blindness and lymphatic filariasis. But even though the FDA has not approved the drug to treat or prevent COVID-19, right-wing influencers including Joe Rogan and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) have promoted fringe theories suggesting such.
Gaetz's ad drew mockery from social media critics.
"Matt Gaetz went from the nominee for Attorney General to offering 10% off horse tranquilizer," chided Judd Legum, who publishes an independent newsletter dedicated to accountability journalism.
Raw Story confirmed the 10 percent discount works on the online pharmacy.
"What a fall from grace who was probably 17," quipped Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko, alluding to Gaetz's allegations.
"Honestly surprised the discount code is not MATT17," jabbed Don Moynihan, a policy professor at the University of Michigan.
"Matt Gaetz has been out of Congress all of five minutes and he's already hawking ivermectin with sponsored posts. The GOP official-to-grifter pipeline is strong," wrote political commentator and MSNBC contributor Brian Tyler Cohen.
"Beyond parody," wrote Allison Neitzel, a medical doctor and founder of the independent research group MisinformationKills.
Watch the ad below or at this link.