'Move over Joe Exotic': Rep. Matt Gaetz shares trailer for HBO doc shoving aside 'Tiger King'
Tiger King Joe Exotic has some competition — at least according to Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
The self-proclaimed "Florida man" shared the trailer for the upcoming HBO documentary "The Swamp" to his Twitter account Friday with the caption, "Move over Joe Exotic."
The documentary, which follows Gaetz and Republican congressmen Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), is scheduled to premiere on Aug. 4.
"One nation. Under water. The Swamp follows Republican Congressmen @RepMattGaetz, @RepThomasMassie, and @RepKenBuck as they provide a look behind the curtain of Washington politics. The Swamp premieres August 4 on @HBO. #TheSwampHBO," HBO wrote on Twitter when they released the trailer Friday.
"I didn't run as someone to unify Washington, I ran to change Washington," Gaetz can be heard saying in the trailer, which opens with a shot of the 38-year-old receiving praise from President Donald Trump.
The documentary, directed by Daniel DiMauro and Morgan Pehme, who also co-directed "Get Me Roger Stone," follows the three congressmen over the course of 2019, a "pivotal year in politics," to demonstrate a system that rewards "money-raising above all else, plaguing Congress on both sides of the aisle," according to HBO's description.
According to Warner Media Group's press release, the documentary also includes interviews from Ro Khanna (D-CA) and John Sarbanes (D-MD), plus former Congresswoman Katie Hill (D-CA) and Lawrence Lessig, a Harvard Law professor.
The description also boasts behind-the-scenes access to the House of Representative's inner workings and events such as the Mueller hearing and Trump's impeachment proceedings.
According to CNN, Gaetz stormed the Intelligence Committee room with more than two dozen other lawmakers while the House Intelligence Committee was investigating Trump's dealings with the Ukrainian government. Many brought their phones inside with them, which is considered a security breach. Gaetz also gave the uncredentialed film crew for "The Swamp" expired congressional passes the Huffington Post reported.
It stands to be seen whether Gaetz will beat out Exotic for the documentary throne after "Tiger King" had 34 million U.S. viewers in its first 10 days on Netflix according to Nielsen. Though it may not be much of a race given that Michael Jordan's "The Last Dance" already outpaced Exotic's "Tiger King" in terms of demand.
While Exotic, born Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is currently serving 22 years in prison for attempted murder for hire and killing five tigers, among other charges, his story is on track to be turned into another series — though it won't be a documentary.
The limited series is inspired by a June 2019 Texas Monthly article by Leif Reigstad, “Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into the World of a Man Gone Wild." Nicolas Cage has been tapped to play Exotic and will also serve as an executive producer for the project.
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Contributing: Erin Jensen, Chris Bumbaca