#Rep. Matt Gaetz

[strmpt]

you know trump’s cabinet picks are fucking insane when there’s bipartisan agreement that they’re terrible choices

[ccgpc-blog]

Fighting Back! Matt Gaetz Sues Congress!

[sujooon]

President-elect Donald Trump has announced his decision to nominate Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida for the position of U.S. Attorney General. The move is already stirring significant debate and has set the stage for what promises to be a contentious confirmation process in the Senate. Gaetz, a staunch Trump loyalist and vocal critic of the Justice Department, would take over the nation’s top law enforcement agency if confirmed, a prospect that has sparked mixed reactions within the political establishment.

[dduane]

Almost certainly meaning that the whole report about him was about to leak.

Someone therefore hurriedly made him a deal for some to-be-delivered-later sinecure, and he folded his tent citing the old "Many Important People talked to me and convinced me that I didn't I want to be an undua distraction" excuse. :/

[batboyblog]

"The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,"

[theonion]

From The Archives: The House Ethics Committee has reportedly interviewed witnesses about Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) attending a house party with minors, alcohol, and illicit drugs. The Onion asked teenagers what it was like to party with Matt Gaetz, and this is what they said.

[fromchaostocosmos]

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican who has been criticized in the past for her dalliances with antisemitic tropes and influencers, explained her vote against a bill defining antisemitism by saying that the bill it rejects the “gospel” that “the Jews” handed Jesus over to his crucifiers.

But Greene, posting on X, formerly Twitter, laid out a different concern: that the bill threatened Christian expression. “Antisemitism is wrong, but I will not be voting for the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023 (H.R. 6090) today that could convict Christians of antisemitism for believing the Gospel that says Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews,” she said. “Read the bill text and contemporary examples of antisemitism like #9.”

In her tweet, Greene posts two photos: One focuses on the portion of the bill that adopts as part of its definition of antisemitism the 11 “contemporary examples of antisemitism” in the definition of antisemitism composed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. The second photo highlights the ninth example, “using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.”

Her fellow far-right Republican, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, explained his no vote in similar terms on the same platform. “The Gospel itself would meet the definition of antisemitism under the terms of this bill!” Gaetz writes, and gores on to quote New Testament scripture that collectively blames Jews for Jesus’s killing

[saywhat-politics]

Two House Republicans are planning long-shot impeachment bids against federal judges who have blocked parts of the Trump administration’s nascent efforts to disrupt the federal government.

Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona said last week that he intends to introduce articles of impeachment against U.S. District Court Judge Paul Engelmayer, who earlier this month imposed sweeping restrictions on Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency that limit the task force’s access to sensitive Treasury Department systems.

During an appearance on disgraced former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s show on One America News Network on Wednesday, Crane claimed Democrats were trying to thwart the efforts of Musk and his gaggle of teen and twenty-something DOGE loyalists “through the judicial system with activist judges.”

[darkmaga-returns]

The MAGA movement has rallied in unwavering support for Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as he faces renewed smears from the corporate media and House Ethics Committee accusations rooted in disproven allegations.

It is telling that despite a coordinated campaign to isolate and discredit him, the Trump-aligned grassroots base and key leaders in the America First coalition are standing behind Gaetz, further exposing and fuelling the establishment’s desperation to silence one of the most reliable and vocal critics of the D.C. swamp.

The Ethics Committee’s recent, unethical leak of its own report—a rehash of allegations previously debunked by none other than the Biden Department of Justice—was timed to damage Gaetz’s credibility and distract from his effectiveness in holding the political class accountable. The DOJ, after a thorough investigation, declined to press charges, citing a complete lack of evidence to support the claims that have dogged Gaetz for years. Yet the committee, under the false premise of oversight, has weaponized its authority to settle political scores, relying on innuendo and hearsay.

Gaetz, who led the charge to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy, has long been a thorn in the side of both Democrats and establishment Republicans. His refusal to take corporate cash and his willingness to challenge the status quo has made him a target of relentless attacks.Yet contra to the beliefs of the legacy media, his refusal to bow to pressure has only solidified his standing with the MAGA movement.

This loyalty from the base is not misplaced. Gaetz has often put the movement on his back, staunchly defending policies that are central to the America First agenda, including exposing government censorship and persecution, opposing endless foreign wars, and leading on accountability for the Biden regime’s failures. His successful defenestration of Speaker McCarthy made him a ‘made man’ in MAGA world.

Prominent figures, including Stephen K. Bannon, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and President Donald Trump have expressed their public support. Greene called the Ethics Committee’s report “a shameless political hit job,” while Trump reposted messages defending Gaetz, calling him a “warrior” and a key ally in the fight to drain the swamp.

The campaign to smear Gaetz is the opening salvo of a fresh round of hoaxes, underscoring a broader trend of targeting MAGA conservatives.

[cleolinda]

January 7, 2023

It’s finally over. After days of negotiations and 14 failed ballots—the most since 1860—Republican Kevin McCarthy was officially elected speaker of the House early Saturday morning. In exchange for the necessary votes to get him elected, the congressman had to beg, barter, and plead with a group of hardline Republicans who held out for a litany of concessions.

Since Wednesday, McCarthy and his supporters have been negotiating with several far-right GOPers, including some who have been implicated in Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election, as my colleague Dan Friedman previously reported. House members like Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), and Scott Perry (R-Pa.) all held out on their votes, until McCarthy eventually won them over.

According to CNN, here’s what the holdouts got from McCarthy in exchange for the speakership:

Any member can call for a motion to vacate the speaker’s chair

October 3, 2023

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Marco Margaritoff at HuffPost:

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) expressed his sincere bafflement Tuesday about President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks, which have caused widespread concern for multiple reasons including that at least four of them have been accused of sexual misconduct. Trump nominated former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who was investigated for allegedly having sex with a 17-year-old, to be his attorney general. He also nominated former Fox News host and veteran Pete Hegseth, who was investigated for sexual assault in 2017. McGovern, on the House floor, said these nominations are “beyond insane.” “Someone who is credibly accused of having sex with an underage girl,” the congressman noted Tuesday. “Someone who sucks up to foreign dictators and has attracted major concern that they can’t be trusted to protect America’s secrets from our adversaries.” Trump nominated former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) to be his director of national intelligence, despite concern over her 2017 meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. “Someone who paid hush money to cover up a sexual assault accusation, you know, to lead our military. He’s picked because Donald Trump likes him on Fox News?” McGovern said, referring to Hegseth. “Someone who says that tap water turns kids gay?” he continued. “I mean, this is the dream team? This is the dream team? Really?”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump tapped to be secretary of health and human services, reportedly argued on his podcast in 2022 that man-made chemicals in food and water are acting as “endocrine disruptors” that could be making children homosexual or transgender, pointing to their documented effect of turning some male frogs female. Such effects have not been found in humans. Dr. Andrea Gore, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Texas at Austin, told CNN last year that things in the environment can affect frogs’ sex but sex for humans is set at conception.

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) rightly called Donald Trump’s cabinet picks “beyond insane” on the House floor.

[contemplatingoutlander]

Apocalyptic rhetoric is just as dangerous as the violent kind

Paul Waldman is absolutely correct about how the Republican's "apocalyptic rhetoric" about the Democrats could ultimately lead to violence just as much as the violent rhetoric. The GOP frames Democrats now as deliberately wanting to "destroy" America. (Ironically, it is the GOP who have turned toward autocracy and seem determined on establishing one party rule at all costs. This suggests that once again, Republicans are projecting onto Democrats.)

“I cannot stand these people that are destroying our country,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to a crowd of Donald Trump’s supporters at the Iowa State Fair this past weekend while the former president looked on approvingly. Gaetz then added: “Only through force do we make any change in a corrupt town like Washington, D.C.” The second part of that statement made headlines, as it’s not every day that a member of Congress advocates “force” to achieve political goals. But the first part ought to be just as troubling, because the two parts operate together. The idea that our opponents are purposely attempting to lay waste to America is often the justification for all kinds of radical action — violence very much included. Barely a day goes by without prominent Republicans repeating that claim. Trump regularly says his political opponents will “destroy the country,” or have already nearly destroyed it. It’s a staple of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s rhetoric. “If woke ideology takes over, it will destroy this country,” DeSantis says. If President Biden is reelected, the governor insists, “the left is gonna absolutely destroy this country.” [...] Yes, liberals have made dire warnings about a second Trump presidency. But that’s unique to Trump, who actually tried to overturn a lawful election and retain power, and last year called for the “termination” of the Constitution. So the assertion that if he became president it could mean the end of democracy is at least not too far-fetched.* The talk of the United States ending its run some time in the next few years because Democrats passed some modest expansion of health coverage or kept pushing for a transition to green energy, on the other hand, is bonkers. Yet, unlike other kinds of rhetorical calls to extremism, we don’t police it at all. Journalists tend to be very attuned to hints of political violence. When a candidate says he wants to start “slitting throats” in the federal government, as DeSantis recently did, we condemn it and explore its troubling implications. We press Republican contenders to admit that Biden fairly won the 2020 election and to repudiate the violent insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. In contrast, we treat partisan apocalyptic rhetoric as mere hyperbole. But it’s the premise that turns anger into action. If you actually believed your opponents were literally trying to destroy your country, what wouldn’t be justified? Threatening election officials? Storming the Capitol? Assassinations? You might protest that Republican politicians don’t really believe this talk. But clearly, many of their supporters do. Which is no surprise given how often they’re told that it’s true. [...] Any rational Republican knows the truth about the next election: If Biden wins, it will mean nothing more than four years of policies they don’t like. That will be deeply unpleasant for them. But it won’t mean the end of America, and they shouldn’t be allowed to say so without challenge. We ought to treat apocalyptic rhetoric just like we treat violent rhetoric: Take note of it, condemn it, challenge candidates to defend it, and explain the threat it poses. Why? Because many of the voters who are listening think the Republicans spinning out wild tales of America’s imminent destruction mean what they say. [emphasis added]

____________ *In my opinion it isn't just Trump, many on the left have legitimate concerns about extreme right-wing Republicans like DeSantis and white Christian nationalists who seem to want autocracy/ one-party rule because they have either said and/or shown that they do.

[follow-up-news]

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Thursday accusing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis of failing to fulfill his constitutional obligation to call special elections for two seats in the state House and Senate. The seats in question were vacated in November by state Rep. Joel Rudman and state Sen. Randy Fine, who resigned to run for two congressional seats that opened up when President-elect Donald Trump named U.S. Reps. Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz as Cabinet picks. Shortly after Gaetz and Waltz resigned, DeSantis called for special congressional elections with a Jan. 28 primary and an April 1 general. He has yet to set elections for the state-level openings, however. “I don’t understand why the governor resists calling special elections in a timely manner. From Jeb Bush to Rick Scott, past governors moved quickly to ensure the people retained their voice in government. DeSantis’s refusal to do so is both troubling and illegal,” said Nicholas Warren, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Florida.

[technofeudalism]

i will confess. i hate the Democrats for a lot of reasons. like a lot of reasons. i've posted about them excessively. but giving this donkey brained, pointless, chronically incorrect fool a platform is the perfect example of why i hate them so much. i am sorry to go on a cooking spree but i have to do it.

keep in mind, this is a person that the Democrats gave a microphone and speaking time at the DNC instead of a Palestinian speaker. here she is giving her speech, which was about representing the young voters of the United States.

this person is exactly what is wrong with the way the Democratic party thinks and operates. somehow, in spite of her ridiculous opinions, she is only 22 years old and therefore, she's held up by Democrats as an example of the party's "youth movement." what you're gonna see below is their messaging. they own the rhetoric as much as she does.

here's the message she's delivering today to her massive audience (326k followers) re: the outcome of the 2024 election and the events of the last 24hrs. think about all of the horrific things that Donald Trump has announced he's going to do, then look at what she is focusing on and how many views, likes and overall engagement it is getting, and the following of young adults she has tried to cultivate.

Olivia Julianna should not be considered your ally in any way. she should be chased away from politics completely. she should go away forever. the only reason she has any notoriety in the first place is because Matt Gaetz is a massive piece of shit who unnecessarily insulted her appearance repeatedly. that does not give her political credibility, no matter how much of a pedophile loser Matt Gaetz is.

at the end of the day, that kind of thing is extremely unnecessary because… i mean… there's no other way to say it. she's stupid. it's so easy to focus on that. whether it's naturally or she's monetizing it, i don't know. but for context, she is from Houston (pop 2.3m) and Joe Biden is from Scranton (pop. 75k), which was like 8x the size before his family moved away in 1953.

this is a person who was still advocating for Joe Biden to stay in the race the day before he dropped out and telling the media 2 weeks prior that a House Rep - the first to call for Biden to get out, who has served in the House 30** (not 20) years - that he should sit down and shut up. look at the timing on that.

he won re-election by 50 points by the way.

she never acknowledged that she was wrong the entire time about Joe Biden and still has not to this day. she said several awful things in defense of his Gaza policy that she has also never apologized for.

here is what she flipped to talking about when Kamala became the nominee. this is barely scratching the surface.

this was what she said about donating to DSA (yes they have their own problems, but people were looking for a way to organize) hours after Trump was declared the winner of the election and everything leftists have been saying for a year was validated:

as with all of my long posts, none of this is intended to be a dunk fest and if it comes off that way, it's not my intention. it's just getting increasingly difficult to talk about politics in this country without coming apart at the seams with contempt.

this is just a warning that if you see this seemingly "left-leaning" Gen Z influencer roasting conservatives on social media, just nod and keep scrolling. the less engagement this person gets, the better off we are. if the Democratic party is promoting them at all at this point, they should be endlessly questioned and critically examined.