A surrogate to former President Donald Trump successfully triggered pearl-clutching with remarks on what it will take to change “a corrupt town like Washington, D.C.”
(Video: RSBN)
Though uncertainty remained as to whether or not Trump will attend the first Republican presidential primary debate on Aug. 23, he did participate in another candidate tradition Saturday in attending the Iowa State Fair.
Among his entourage of mostly U.S. Representatives from Florida was congressman Matt Gaetz who wasted no time in delivering a boiled down elevator pitch in support of a second Trump administration.
“Mr. President, I cannot stand these people that are destroying our county. They are opening our borders. They are weaponizing our federal law enforcement against patriotic Americans who love this nation as we should,” he began when offered his chance to speak to fair attendees.
“We are having a great time at the fair. We love standing with you,” continued Gaetz before he asserted, “But we know that only through force do we make any change in a corrupt town like Washington, D.C.”
Right on cue, social media users and leftist pundits began their meltdowns over the Florida legislator’s words being a “threat of violence” and the language of “fascists.”
Former Georgia Democratic congressional candidate Marcus Flowers railed, “Matt Gaetz clearly states that ‘only through force do we make any change in a corrupt town like Washington DC…they are coming for our movement and they are coming for all of us.’ This is fascism on the rise, folks.”
Likewise, New York University professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat posted to X, “Sitting lawmaker calling for violence. The GOP has become a party of fascist thugs.”
Just sent it to FBI
— Jim Turley (@JimTurley14) August 13, 2023
Sitting lawmaker calling for violence. The GOP has become a party of fascist thugs. Read #Strongmen to see how that works out. https://t.co/DiXsohleD8
— Ruth Ben-Ghiat (@ruthbenghiat) August 12, 2023
Another day, another instance of Gaetz publicly advocating open armed rebellion.
— Jonathan (@JonathanOC) August 12, 2023
I hope people are paying attention! Once was enough! Stop them before they try it again! If people like Gaetz say it #BelieveHim! Sadly, people like him are corrupting Washington DC and spreading division throughout the ‘United’ States of America and we are all paying him to do…
— Connie P (@Conniepae) August 12, 2023
Hello America, can you hear the sounds of Fascism screaming at you from the right?
This is the current fundamental philosophy driving Trumpism.
— Yonathan Seleshi (@yonathanseleshi) August 12, 2023
Sure sounds like he’s inciting violence
— Pam (@WardpamPam) August 12, 2023
As ever, the entirety of the lawmaker’s comments went overlooked as he continued calling for voters to work hard toward aiding Trump in securing the nomination for president.
“And so, to all my friends here in Iowa, when you see them come for this man, know that they are coming for our movement and they are coming for all of us. And as hard as you see him work, I need you working ten times harder, a hundred times harder. We’re gonna win Iowa, we’re gonna march to the nomination and we’re gonna save the greatest country…” Gaetz concluded as the cheering crowd blocked out the end of the statement.
The Saturday stump speech came just one day after the congressman had floated the idea of his being named attorney general if the president were reelected as he told Newsmax host David Harris Jr. “And so we could send criminal referrals to the Department of Justice, we go take the White House back, and you never know, it may be an Attorney General Matt Gaetz down the road or someone of my liking who will be there to actually enforce the law and provide the accountability. Not just the vision, but the actual accountability.”
Trump said much the same on the accountability front when he left the fair and smacked down the idea of his taking a plea deal on a potential fourth indictment from Fulton County, Georgia over allegations related to the 2020 presidential election.
“The fact is that we have a country that’s in serious trouble,” the president said. “We have a country that’s in major decline. I don’t mean decline, I mean major decline, and we’re gonna straighten it out — this group and a lot of people just like this group — we’re gonna straighten it out and we’re gonna make America great again.”
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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