Matt Gaetz clapped back at “Reacher” star Alan Ritchson after he openly criticized Gaetz, former U.S. representative for Florida’s 1st congressional district and his high school rival.
During an interview with GQ to promote the third season of his hit Amazon Prime show, Ritchson shared that their paths crossed back in school when his family moved to Gaetz’s childhood hometown Niceville, Florida.
“That motherf**ker. We are adversaries,” Ritchson said Gaetz. “It’s shocking to me that the panhandle of Florida continues to vote for somebody — knowing everything we know about him and the promises that he’s made behind closed doors about pardoning certain criminals — he’s just not a good dude!”
Gaetz took to both his personal and professional X accounts to respond the celebrity’s claims. “Hollywood apparently changes people,” he began.
Hollywood apparently changes people!
Alan was a year behind me in high school and we were both on the Speech and Debate Team.
We were not “adversaries” as I won debate championships and Alan did more acting stuff. As I recall, his older brother Eric won more often than Alan… https://t.co/7FjSf0TnDd
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) February 20, 2025
“We were not ‘adversaries’ as I won debate championships and Alan did more acting stuff,” the former congressman posted.
“He was always very nice to me (and everyone) and his mother, the computer lab monitor, loved me.”
He continued the thread in a statement from his professional account by writing, “Spoiler alert: We were not adversaries. He’s just trying to get Hollywood attention (but not just with the steroids).”
Spoiler alert:
We were not adversaries.
He’s just trying to get Hollywood attention (but not just with the steroids)
I remember the time his mom (who is wonderful) wouldn’t let me read the Ken Starr Report in 1998 in the NHS computer lab because….(you know) https://t.co/njyCf2XEjU
— Former Congressman Matt Gaetz (@FmrRepMattGaetz) February 21, 2025
During his GQ interview, Ritchson admitted, “Part of me that wants to get into politics to outdo somebody like [Gaetz] for good, and there’s part of me that’s like, I’m not duplicitous enough to succeed in politics.”
“There are certain people that do a good job of staying true to who they are, but they’re ineffective,” he continued.
“I think Bernie Sanders is a hero. But it’s like, what has he accomplished?”
Gaetz has faced his own controversies over the years. He was accused in 2020 of child sex trafficking and statutory rape, though the U.S. Department of Justice eventually decided not to file charges after their investigation.
The House Ethics Committee released a 2024 report revealing evidence that Gaetz had both paid for sex and used illegal drugs during his time serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Gaetz’s term as a representative concluded in late 2024 when the Trump administration nominated him to serve as U.S. attorney general.
He later dropped out of contention for the role amidst accusations of sexual misconduct, prompting another inquiry by the House Ethics Committee.
A draft of the committee’s report alleged that Gaetz paid over $90,000 to 12 women and detailed multiple encounters from 2017 to 2020 involving women who were allegedly compensated for sex and drugs.
The committee concluded that Gaetz violated the House’s rules of conduct, allegations he has vehemently denied.
This isn’t the first time Ritchson, known for his strong Christian faith, has publicly criticized fellow Christians who are supporters of President Trump.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last April, Ritchson remarked, “Trump is a rapist and a con man, and yet the entire Christian church seems to treat him like he’s their poster child and it’s unreal. I don’t understand it.”
He also argued in the interview, “Cops get away with murder all the time, and the fact that we can’t really hold them accountable for their improprieties is disturbing to me.”
The remarks quickly caused a backlash, particularly among Trump supporters, with the actor addressing numerous criticisms lobbed his way.
This statement drew pushback from the National Fraternal Order of Police, who criticized Ritchson on their Facebook page, calling him “another useless Hollywood actor, virtue signaling for attention at the expense of brave police officers around this country.”
Ritchson responded via Instagram, saying, “This kind of emotionally immature response is the epitome of what concerns me about law enforcement today.”
“If this is how leadership handles a peaceful disagreement, what does life look like for those unseen interactions in the street?” he sniped.
He further commented on the matter during a video on his “InstaChurch” YouTube channel, which he claimed led to threats of violence being directed toward him.
Quoting the Bible, he referenced a verse from Jeremiah 22, stating, “Jeremiah 22: 2-3. So, if we go to the prophets, what do they say? ‘Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.’”
Ritchson reflected on the verse, connecting it to politics. He said, “When I think about that, I think about politics.”
“And when I think about this, I think about an entire platform by those who mostly claim to be Christians, who are doing the exact opposite of this with their voting power!” he added.
The actor further criticized such individuals as those “who are not helping, the fatherless, who are making victims of widows.”
Ritchson reaffirmed, “Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.”
He then addressed what he called the broader message of faith, adding, “This is the kind of generosity that we are called to and it’s for everybody.”
“It’s not just for believers. It’s not just for those who have been indoctrinated into the church,” he concluded. “It’s not just for those who are American or fit your nation state or fly your flag. It is for everybody!”