Matt Gaetz Goes After 'Dangerous' Mitch McConnell for Trying to 'Purge Trumpism'
February 17, 2021
Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida called out Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Sunday following the second impeachment acquittal of Donald Trump.
The Republican appeared on Fox News on President's Day to discuss the future of the Lincoln Project, a group of former and present Republicans who joined together to prevent Trump from being elected for a second term as president. While predicting the group's future, he also took aim at McConnell for lambasting Trump after the Senate impeachment vote.
When asked about the political action committee, Gaetz called the Lincoln Project "the past." He also pointed out that there are "new incarnations in the Republican party from those trying to purge Trumpism from our movement."
"Frankly, the most dangerous was Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell," Gaetz continued, "who took to the floor and essentially gave the Biden Justice Department cover to prosecute the president, his son, even his supporters who didn't engage in any violent conduct on January 6th."
The Congressman went on to call the Lincoln Project "a front group for the establishment money to attack the president" and his supporters. Gaetz concluded that their "energy and motivation" will continue.
Following Trump's acquittal vote on Saturday, McConnell said that the former president was "practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day." Only seven GOP senators with voted with Democrats to convict Trump for inciting an insurrection on January 6. McConnell was not one of them.
"These criminals were carrying his banners. Hanging his flags and screaming their loyalty to him," the Kentucky senator said of the insurrection. "It was obvious that only President Trump could end this... Former aides publicly begged him to do so. Loyal allies frantically called the administration. The president did not act swiftly. He did not do his job... Instead according to public reports he watched television happily as the chaos unfolded, kept pressing his scheme to overturn the election."
McConnell also pointed out that even though Trump did not face any consequences from the second impeachment trial, he could be convicted for his actions in the future.
"President Trump is still liable for everything he did while in office," McConnell explained. "He didn't get away with anything yet. We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation."