Rep. Matt Gaetz Grew Up in ‘The Truman Show’ House and That Explains So Much

HBO’s The Swamp is a deep dive into the corruption choking our democracy, but the film also gives us a glimpse into what makes Republican Congressman like Thomas Massie (R-KY), Ken Buck (R-CO), and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) tick. In the case of Rep. Gaetz, we see a young politician struggling to balance an outsized public image as a provocative Trump zealot with an earnest desire to reform the system. This contradiction immediately makes sense, though, once it’s revealed that Matt Gaetz literally grew up in The Truman Show house. And that kind of explains everything about him? (Well, sort of.)

The Swamp is a brand new political documentary from Daniel DiMauro & Moran Pehme, two of the directors behind Netflix’s Get Me Roger Stone. As with that film, The Swamp closely follows some controversial Republican figures. Ken Buck is a Colorado politician who wrote the literal book, Drain the Swamp, and sparks outrage over his devotion to gun rights groups. Thomas Massie is a Libertarian-leaning Republican who wants to dismantle the whole system — which puts him at odds with his colleagues. And Matt Gaetz is a provocative young Congressman and ardent Trump supporter best known for his penchant for viral moments. However all three men see themselves as reformers trying to wrestle control of the government away from corporate lobbyists. As The Swamp illustrates, that’s much easier said than done.

The film’s most fascinating character, though, is Gaetz. Demonized in liberal circles and a popular face on Fox News, Gaetz represents one of the most conservative districts in the country. He is an ardent supporter of Trump and a ferocious attack dog for the President’s pet causes. He’s also one of the few Republicans who seems eager to cut ties with corporate lobbies and work across the aisle on bipartisan bills. He’s an absolute contradiction breathing fire against Democrats on cable news and — seemingly? — unaware that his public image might be harming his relationships with these same left-leaning politicians.

However The Swamp reveals something about Gaetz’s childhood in its first act that illuminate everything about his strange brand of attention-seeking ambition. No, it’s not that he comes from a long line of public servants. It’s that he grew up in the house used in the Jim Carrey film The Truman Show. You know, the film about a guy who lives his whole life on TV. Today, the house is decorated with a sign not only confirming that it’s the Gaetz family home, but the picture perfect house from the Jim Carrey movie.

For Gaetz, this seems like a fun little aside. For me, it sort of unlocked Gaetz’s voracious need for attention.

From the get-go, The Swamp makes it clear that Gaetz has built his career around cable news soundbites. He starts his day by putting on makeup, fretting over how much weight he’s lost, and bragging that Ivanka Trump once complimented his shoes. Later he even admits that he strategically looks for the viral news moment during Congressional hearings over diligent work on legislation. And while he boasts that other junior representatives have asked him for advice, Gaetz admits that his high profile makes him a target. We hear death threats, watch him get “milkshaked,” and learn that he can’t eat out often at DC restaurants without causing a scene. You don’t necessarily feel empathy for Gaetz, but the picture of him eating takeout alone in his office is absolutely sad.

The Swamp also suggests that Gaetz’s obsession with viral stunts trolling the opposition might earn him points with Trump, but they kill the bi-partisan legislation Gaetz seems to earnestly want to see get off the ground. An amendment he was working on with Ro Khanna seems to start to lose its legs almost immediately after Gaetz tries to storm a private hearing for press. We see Khanna, who had previously been cordial with the Florida representative, immediately go cold on Gaetz and lambast him on the news.

Does Gaetz put this all together? Nah. He still puts attention-seeking antics and viral moments ahead of legislative work. And why wouldn’t he? It’s not just that’s how politics are today, but Gaetz may be psychologically affected from growing up in The Truman Show house. After all, that film was about a man who was living his life on camera. In the movie’s case, Carrey’s character didn’t know he was doing this. In Gaetz’s, it seems it hasn’t occurred to him that he could get more reforms through if he stopped chasing the cameras.

The Swamp premieres on HBO tonight at 9 PM.

Where to stream The Swamp