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On Tuesday, Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) sparked outrage by sending a threatening tweet at Michael Cohen as the former Trump attorney began his three days of testimony before Congress. Gaetz is known for his nauseatingly sycophantic behavior towards the inept ignoramus currently inhabiting the Oval Office, and critics immediately accused the Congressman of engaging in a mobster-like effort to intimidate Cohen in an effort to ingratiate himself with the president.
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Showcasing for the umpteenth time what a classless goon he is, Gaetz targeted Cohen’s family and alluded to some form of marital indiscretions on the part of Trump’s former fixer.
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The Florida Bar has already opened an investigation into the tweet and in the face of withering backlash, Gaetz deleted the tweet and issued another in which he claimed that he has apologized to Cohen and admitted that targeting the disbarred attorney’s family was out of line. It read more as a face-saving PR ploy than a sincere mea culpa.
I’ve personally apologized to @MichaelCohen212 4 referencing his private family in the public square. Regardless of disagreements, family members should be off-limits from attacks from representatives, senators & presidents, including myself. Let’s leave the Cohen family alone.
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) February 28, 2019
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Now, it’s turned out that those who interpreted Gaetz’s retraction as disingenuous were almost certainly correct. Edward-Isaac Dovere of The Atlantic reported on Twitter that Trump called Representative Gaetz last night from Hanoi, Vietnam to discuss Michael Cohen’s bombshell testimony. According to Dovere, rather than explain how he now believes his threatening tweet was a mistake, Gaetz gushed unapologetically about it.
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“I was happy to do it for you. You just keep killing it,” the Congressman said, sounding for all the world like a gangster reporting to his kingpin. Clearly, those who thought the initial tweet at Cohen was a threat engineered to impress Trump were correct.
Dovere pointed out that Gaetz sent his “apology” tweet after his phone call with Trump and that Gaetz told him personally that he doesn’t discuss his conversations with the president.
While the most charitable interpretation of the timeline is that Gaetz repented at some point between the call and his apology tweet, given his past behavior and rhetoric that seems like an overly generous explanation. It seems far more likely that he’s glad he did the tweet but knows he has to distance himself from it in public.
President Trump called @mattgaetz last night from Hanoi to talk the Cohen testimony and the threats (since rescinded) Gaetz made about Cohen.
"I was happy to do it for you. You just keep killing it," Gaetz was heard telling him.
(Gaetz told me he doesn't discuss calls w/POTUS)— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) February 28, 2019
contrast this private comment to what Gaetz has done publicly – deleted the original threatening tweet, and tweet separately last night "I’ve personally apologized to @MichaelCohen212 4 referencing his private family in the public square."
— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) February 28, 2019
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tracking timing: the tweet in which Gaetz said he apologized to Cohen was sent *after* he talked to Trump and said he was happy to do it.
(I offered Gaetz several chances to refute the comment to Trump, but he left it at saying he doesn't discuss conversations with Trump.)— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) February 28, 2019
Gaetz didn’t wait long to respond to Dovere’s reporting and did so by channeling the disgusting anti-free press president he seems to love so much by labeling the story “Fake News.”
#FakeNews https://t.co/oKwTaMgdTe
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) February 28, 2019
So upset was he, that he followed it up with another tweet. Once again calling it “Fake News,” this time adding “This didn’t happen.” Frankly, one would have to be incredibly gullible to believe someone with as little credibility as Matt Gaetz. This man is a disgrace to the American Congress and should resign immediately.
This didn’t happen. #FakeNews https://t.co/lOH1Uf7YwV
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) February 28, 2019
