PREDICTION: GAETZ WILL PLAY THE JESUS CARD IN 5, 4, 3 ...

Well, this is awkward:

Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican being investigated by the Justice Department over sex trafficking allegations, ... gained a reputation in Congress over his relationships with women and bragging about his sexual escapades to his colleagues, multiple sources told CNN.

Gaetz allegedly showed off to other lawmakers photos and videos of nude women he said he had slept with, the sources told CNN, including while on the House floor. The sources, including two people directly shown the material, said Gaetz displayed the images of women on his phone and talked about having sex with them. One of the videos showed a naked woman with a hula hoop, according to one source.

"It was a point of pride," one of the sources said of Gaetz.

What's the usual move when conservatives (and sometimes non-conservatives) get in trouble this way? They suddenly discover their love for Jesus in a very public way. How many more days or weeks can this scandal go on before Gaetz plays the God card?

It could be a struggle. Gaetz went on Fox News in January 2018 and said that the FBI's inability to find certain text messages between anti-Trump agents "would be the greatest coincidence since the Immaculate Conception." In a subsequent interview on CNN, Chris Cuomo challenged Gaetz's theology.

"Where is the analogy, that's what I don't understand. What do you think happened with the Immaculate Conception?" asks Cuomo.

"Look," responds Gaetz, "did you really bring me on to discuss my religious views?" says Gaetz. "I’m a Christian. I believe that the Immaculate Conception was how Jesus was born."

Cuomo, visibly annoyed, argues back, "It was Mary's conception. It was the mother's conception without original sin. It was not the conception of Jesus. Facts matter, Congressman. If you're going to make an analogy, at least know what you're talking about."

Leaving aside the fact that the Immaculate Conception refers to Mary’s conception without original sin (not the birth of Jesus), which he clearly doesn’t know — it sounds like he’s calling the Christian faith (the Virgin Birth) a lie, right? I mean what else could that even mean?

— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) January 25, 2018

But that probably won't stop him. He knows how to invoke right-wing Christianity -- back when he was a member of the Florida state legislature, he asserted that gun rights are "granted not by government but by God." And he gave the right answers on an American Family Association questionnaire in 2016.

America is unique because we know our rights come from God

Q: What in the nature of mankind caused America's Founders to carefully define, separate, and limit powers in the Constitution?

Gaetz: America is unique in the world because we acknowledge that our rights come from God, not government. Our Founders created the greatest system of government the world has ever seen. They recognized men are flawed--greed, self-interest, and desire for control--showed the Founders the need for a Constitution that created a system of limited government to protect the rights of all citizens and restrict the powers of the federal government.

... Bible is instructions from God; we are to follow faithfully

Q: Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.

Gaetz: My father is a Lutheran, my mother is Methodist. While I've attended church with both throughout my life, I was saved in a Baptist Church during my teenage years. I am a member of First Baptist Church in Fort Walton Beach. The Bible, the Gospel--these are our instructions from God. We are to follow faithfully.

... Supports Judeo-Christian framework of morality.

Gaetz supports the AFA survey question on religious morality

The American Family Association Action Voter Guide asked if candidates agree or disagree with the statement, 'Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which permitted our system of limited government.'

... Supports religious liberty and sees it at risk.

Gaetz supports the AFA survey question on religious liberty

The American Family Association Action Voter Guide asked if candidates agree or disagree with the statement, 'Religious liberty is at risk in the United States.'

This is all right-wing boilerplate -- it's easy to fake this. But he probably won't have to do much more than this if he decides to declare himself a man who once was lost and now is found. Hell, if Milo Yiannopoulos can do it, why not Gaetz?