Matt Gaetz Trolled Hard at Trump’s New Hampshire Headquarters.
America's rapist campaign for the oval office.
Right-wing Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was mercilessly trolled Sunday at Trump campaign headquarters in New Hampshire.
In one incident, Gaetz—who was investigated for sex trafficking in 2020 (but never charged) and who had a congressional ethics probe launched against him over similar allegations of sexual misconduct and misuse of funds—seemed unfazed by a heckler who spoke after Gaetz welcomed questions from the floor.
According to Politico, the heckler snuck in and, dressed in Trump apparel, asked: “What’s the youngest schoolgirl you’ve ever been with? And have you ridden on the Lolita Express? I know that Donald Trump did.”
The man was greeted with a chorus of boos, thumbs-down gestures and chants of “USA! USA!” as he was subsequently removed.
The Justice Department ended its sex trafficking investigation in February 2023, without charging Gaetz with any crimes.
Mr. Gaetz, the scion of a wealthy Florida businessman who served in the Florida State Legislature before being elected to the House in 2016, has, at times, reveled in his frat-boy reputation, boasting about his exploits to fellow lawmakers. He even showed photos of his sexual conquests to a colleague on the House floor.
That recklessness spilled into public view in recent years, as some past acquaintances divulged stories about his behavior to law enforcement officials and the news media.
In several instances, Mr. Gaetz asked women to help find others who might want to have sex with him and his friends, according to people familiar with those conversations interviewed by The Times. Should anyone inquire about their relationships, one person said, Mr. Gaetz instructed the women to indicate that he had paid for hotel rooms and dinners as part of their dates.
Mr. Gaetz also took ecstasy, an illegal mood-altering drug, before having sex, people familiar with the encounters said in 2021.
Federal prosecutors in Florida, along with lawyers from the Justice Department’s public integrity division, investigated Mr. Gaetz’s encounters with women who were initially recruited online by Mr. Greenberg, a former tax collector in Seminole County, Fla.
In 2021, The New York Times reviewed receipts from mobile payment apps that revealed payments from Mr. Gaetz and Mr. Greenberg to one of the women, and a payment from Mr. Greenberg to a second woman. The women told their friends that the money was for sex with the two men, people familiar with the conversations said at the time.
In encounters during 2019 and 2020, Mr. Gaetz and Mr. Greenberg asked the women to meet at certain times and places, often at hotels around Florida, and would indicate how much they were willing to pay.
The decision not to bring charges appears to have been motivated, in part, by concerns that some witnesses likely to testify against Mr. Gaetz might not have stood up well under cross-examination by his lawyers, according to a person familiar with the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity to publicly discuss the case.
In recent months Mr. Gaetz has, if anything, elevated his status among House Republicans, elbowing his way from his party’s backbenches to the middle of the pack through force of personality and by maximizing his internal leverage.
On Sunday, Gaetz did not address the question directly, simply answering: “This is what this country has come to, right? Think about being a part of a party where they haven’t even tried to make an argument about winning your vote?"
Also at the New Hampshire opening of Donald Trump’s campaign office, Gaetz was confronted by what appeared to be the same man with a small blow-up doll while taking photographs with supporters.
“I came with a bag full of underage girls,” the man told Gaetz. “If you inflate them, it’s much sexier.”
In video of the incident circulating online Gaetz replies, “Dude,” with a grin on his face as the man is escorted away.
