House Democrat delighted as Matt Gaetz offers to resign seat to defend Trump
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House Democrat Brendan Boyle was elated after Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz said he would be willing to step down from his seat to defend former President Donald Trump in his upcoming impeachment trial.
Speaking to former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon on his "War Room Pandemic" podcast, Mr Gaetz said: "If the president called me and wanted me to go defend him on the floor of the Senate, that would be the top priority in my life. I would leave my House seat. I would leave my home. I would do anything I had to do to ensure that the greatest president in my lifetime, one of the greatest president this country has ever had, maybe the greatest president our country has ever had, got a full-throated defence."
Mr Boyle, a Congressman from Philadelphia, seemed to mock Mr Gaetz' resignation offer, tweeting: "I strongly support my colleague Matt Gaetz doing this."
I strongly support my colleague Matt Gaetz doing this. https://t.co/8VbpLc9NK2
— US Rep Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) February 3, 2021
Democrats have criticised Republicans for calling for unity and bipartisanship after they spent months spreading the myth that the election was stolen which led to the 6 January Capitol riot.
Democrats have subsequently blasted Republicans for being unwilling to hold Mr Trump accountable.
Read more: Follow live updates on the Biden administration
Former Obama spokesperson Tommy Vietor sarcastically responded to Mr Boyle, tweeting: "Thank you for this moment of unity".
See—I’m bipartisan!
— US Rep Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) February 3, 2021
Mr Gaetz claimed that the "cancellation of the Trump presidency and the Trump movement" was "one of the biggest threats" to his district, even as Covid-19 has ravaged his home state. According to data from The New York Times, almost 27,000 people in Florida have died from Covid-19.
Twitter users were quick to make fun of Mr Gaetz and his seemingly absolute devotion to the former president.
This is an impressive display of loyalty from @mattgaetz.
But I would still rank it slightly below his offer to eject himself from Air Force One—midflight & sans parachute—on the small chance he had Covid and might infect Trump. https://t.co/U8MOd6Xy9v— Michael C. Bender (@MichaelCBender) February 3, 2021
It's hilarious Matt thinks Trump gives a fuck about this undying love and loyalty. Nobody in his whole history gets it back. https://t.co/xDHup4IsdN
— Todd Poirier (@todd_poirier) February 3, 2021
Oh no, anything but that. Please don't do it, @mattgaetz. I will feel so owned if you resign to defend Trump. https://t.co/uwELKxacsD
— Pé (@4everNeverTrump) February 3, 2021
You have my 100% support, @mattgaetz. Go forth and leave Congress behind, Trump needs you!
If you do this, we will all be grateful and I promise I will not call you a tool anymore.— Børed Scruffy Døg MeidasMighty CONVICT THE MF (@ColdPlayFan4Eva) February 3, 2021
Can we start a GoFundMe so Matt can realize his dream?!?
— Eduardo (@edu_frias) February 3, 2021
We should GoFundMe so @mattgaetz can get paid, we all know Trump won't pay him.
— Ed (@erosado314) February 3, 2021
Matt Gaetz says he would resign as a congressman in order to defend Trump in congressional hearings. I’m no political strategist but this seems like a totally viable plan. Worth a shot! https://t.co/7hcdoewgAI
— Andy Campbell (@AndyBCampbell) February 3, 2021
find a partner who loves you like matt gaetz loves humiliating himself. pic.twitter.com/v2UXpUITYK
— matthew t. warax (@iAmTheWarax) February 3, 2021
I fully support Matt Gaetz resigning from Congress to own the libs pic.twitter.com/u3Ipf3POuY
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) February 3, 2021
Mr Gaetz has slammed Republicans who voted to impeach Mr Trump in the House and went to Wyoming to rally supporters against the state's only Representative, House Republican Conference chair Liz Cheney. Mr Gaetz called for Ms Cheney to be removed from her post.
Before a meeting of the House Republican Caucus to discuss the future of the number 3 Republican, Mr Gaetz told The Hill that the caucus is would be made up of "those who want to drive out the populists, those who want to drive out the establishment and those who simply want peace".
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