Fact check: False claim video shows Matt Gaetz calling Liz Cheney a 'traitor'

Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The claim: Video shows Rep. Matt Gaetz calling Rep. Liz Cheney a 'traitor'

USA TODAY has recently debunked a series of social media posts that feature legitimate videos of politicians paired with misleading and attention-grabbing captions. A new example purportedly shows Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-FL, calling Rep. Liz Cheney, R-WY, a "traitor."

"'A Traitor': SILENCE as Matt Gaetz SHREDS Liz Cheney After SHAMEFUL betrayal against Trump," reads the caption of an Oct. 20 Facebook post featuring a nine-minute video of Gaetz speaking.

The video was viewed 50,000 times in less than a week.

But the caption is wrong. The video does not show Gaetz calling Cheney, or anyone else, a "traitor." Instead, it shows the Florida congressman talking about his position on issues such as foreign policy, COVID-19 and the role of various government agencies.

USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment.

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Gaetz does not call Cheney a 'traitor' in the video

The video is a clip taken from Gaetz's speech at the February 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference.

During the speech, Gaetz urged Republicans to support former President Donald Trump. He also criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci and addressed topics such as the war in Ukraine, mask-wearing in schools and immigration.

At no point in the speech does Gaetz refer to Cheney, or anyone else, as a "traitor."

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Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that a video shows Gaetz calling Cheney a "traitor." The clip shows Gaetz discussing his political positions on various contemporary issues. At no point does he call Cheney a "traitor."

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: False claim video shows Gaetz calling Cheney a 'traitor'