Matt Gaetz Fell From Grace. But Not Too Far, Apparently.

Losing out on a dream job is always hard. All the more so when you come this close, only to have it snatched away because of, oh, some minor dust-up — for instance, a House ethics report concluding that you indulged in illegal drugs, violated state prostitution laws and, on at least one occasion, may have failed to ascertain whether a sex partner was, strictly speaking, of legal age.

Such is the disappointment of Matt Gaetz, the former congressman from Florida and President Trump’s original, now defunct pick for attorney general in his new administration.

Having been deemed so morally suspect that even President “Access Hollywood” opted to abandon the fight for him, Mr. Gaetz might have reasonably hidden away for some soul-searching after withdrawing his nomination. But since a core tenet of Trumpism is that shame and self-reflection are for losers, he instead has spent the past several months working to stay politically relevant.

Mr. Gaetz, who has denied any wrongdoing, has been hosting a political talk show on One America News Network. He has also been nurturing his relationship with the Republican faithful as the head of a fledgling PAC. He is sparking occasional buzz around possibly running for state office in Florida. And last month, he made common cause with some Trump fanboys of even sketchier moral fiber.

In short, Mr. Gaetz is testing another central tenet of the MAGA-verse: So long as one obeys the first commandment of Trumpism — Thou shalt not betray the movement’s leader — political resurrection remains a possibility, no matter how low you go.

“The Matt Gaetz Show,” up and running since January, features segments designed to thrill the hearts of OAN’s conservative audience, including “Giving Democrats a Harsh Reality Check” and multiple swipes at deep-blue California. Its saucy spirit seems in keeping with the Florida Firebrand PAC, which touts Mr. Gaetz as its chairman.