Matt Gaetz kicked off his reelection campaign on Saturday in Walnut Hill, Florida where about 30 people showed up to hear him and Marjorie Taylor Greene speak.
Yes, you read that correctly. Roughly 30 people packed into the Walnut Hill Baptist Church for the event, which began with Gaetz’s wife, Ginger Luckey, performing the national anthem. Meanwhile, a larger overflow room sat empty, according to local media.
Related: Matt Gaetz receives high praise from Osama bin Laden’s niece in deeply unsettling interview
Many in attendance weren’t from the area and at least one person had to be escorted out by police after being told it was a private event. It’s unclear whether the person was a protestor or simply confused as to where they were.
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Online newspaper northescambia.com reports:
Walnut Hill is a small, unincorporated rural community that is almost as far as one can go to the northwest in Gaetz’s Northwest Florida district. Its population is but a tiny speck of the 800,000 or so people in Florida’s 1st Congressional District. It was his only stop Saturday in Escambia County and came after afternoon events in Crestview and Milton. Gaetz said he was proud to visit the far corner of the district to kick off his campaign even though, as he expected, the crowd was small.
Related: Matt Gaetz’s future looking “not good” after latest development, says former federal prosecutor
During the event, Gaetz spewed his usual extreme right-wing talking points, including accusing the Biden administration of “gaslighting” Americans, saying “woke generals” were a threat to the U.S. military, and some nonsense of Hunter Biden’s laptop.
LIVE: Northwest Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz kicks off his reelection campaign tour in Crestview — https://t.co/dKgab2HmPp https://t.co/wJb8BlMlH4
— WEAR ABC 3 (@weartv) April 9, 2022
One topic that was not discussed was the ongoing federal investigation into whether Gaetz paid a high schooler for sex. Earlier this year, his ex-girlfriend testified before a federal grand jury, leading many to believe the Department of Justice is getting close to indicting him.
Multiple sources claim Gaetz’s ex tagged along with him and his alleged 17-year-old lover on a trip to the Bahamas in 2018. CBS News also reports that investigators are looking into whether the anti-LGBTQ lawmaker obstructed justice when he had a secret phone call with the ex and another woman.
Gaetz denies any wrongdoing.
Now, some tweets…
I don’t care if you’re a Republican or a Democrat, a conservative or a liberal. Is Matt Gaetz really the best we can do as a Congressman?
— Jim Benda (@JimBenda) April 9, 2022
If you’re into drugs and sex trafficking, he’s your man.
— Sandy Netherton (@desdemona31) April 10, 2022
Seen larger crowds in retirement homes
— (@ThatsNokay) April 9, 2022
13 people, nice crowd.
— Roland Schitt (@rol_schitt) April 9, 2022
Did the sign read “Matt Gaetz kick off rally (free pudding)”??
— Ulrich (@Ulrich95637972) April 9, 2022
I was wondering how much he’d be relying on the “my wife can sing” factor
— ElizaBeth (@ElizaBe76828003) April 9, 2022
I’ve seen more people at a church pot luck
— Hippie Chick (@ChickC69925504) April 10, 2022
It’s almost as if people don’t want to come see someone who’s being investigated for 3 counts of sex trafficking. hmm.
— Sandy Netherton (@desdemona31) April 10, 2022
If this happened within 500 ft of a school, Gaetz was breaking the law.
— The Deer Who Likes To Tweet (@GrouchyWonk) April 9, 2022
Wow. That event looks EPIC!
— WIConfortunist (@confortunist) April 9, 2022
BaltoSteve
Kind of a small turn out for, what i hope is, the funeral of his political career.
Polaro
So you’d think it would be relatively easy to get rid of terrible people like Gaetz. You would think a competent opposition party would be able to target someone like him, find a good candidate, create a coherent message against his flaws, fund and run a good campaign and take the seat. You would think. Here we are stuck with the democratic party…
CNY1983
no lady, YOURE STUCK. you cant get your feeble mind out of the fox bullshit. i guess you need something to glom onto because youre so lonely and you dont know why no one likes you….
Polaro
What a nasty person. You do not know me, thankfully. Now why is it you’re so mean?
[email protected]
Hey, be civil. And thoughtful, while you’re at it. The reason it’s so difficult to get rid of Gaetz and his kind (MTG, Boebert, Brooks, Gosar, etc.) is that their districts have been gerrymandered by the party in power– yep, that would be the Republicans– so that there are very few Democrats left in those districts, likewise in their various states. So if you’re a Republican like Gaetz, you gotta REALLY offend members of your own party to put yourself in jeopardy. If given more equitable redistricting policies, the Democrats just might stand a chance. And ANYONE , even an inanimate object, would be better than that criminal.
CNY1983
Polaro, I’m nasty? you dont know the democratic party either, stop repeating what you hear on fox not many people here want to waste their time listening to it. you took the first guttersnipe, I responded. dont feel an obligation to come here and say things that make you feel better about buying don trump jr’s book.
cc423
Typical right wing victim mentality… “I can say whatever I want but if you disagree you’re mean.” Grow up.
Polaro
@cc423 you really have troubles with comprehension. I do not mind disagreement. @cny1983 read what you wrote and tell me why you think personal attacks aren’t mean? If you do not like my position, discuss it. Kind of seems like the same guy with similar names.
@[email protected] the republicans announced 20 years ago that their strategy was to control state houses and to gerrymander and the democrats did nothing and now use it as an excuse for their failure. I do not see a focused plan or strategy from the democrats anywhere in any election. I see pandering to every crazy idea out there. I see a losing strategy against fascists and tyrants. I see more clearly than you do…which is right in line with the failure to deal with gerrymandering. Its a string of failures for our team and we need to say enough. Stop making excuses for incompetence.
Bosch
Maybe because the democratic party underestimated how fond the republicans are of pedophiles, they didn’t think a smear campaign would be necessary.
johncp56
????? they let worse in office, sad to learn after the last 6 years what scum in In DC and they get paid$$$$$
Brian
This shows how some churches really aren’t about religion. The opening song is the national anthem (?!) which is not normal for any Christian service. The event was entirely political — not just mentioning a political idea as a brief aside, but planning it to be political from start to finish. And the main presenter pays for sex with teenagers.
These same people will claim to have “sincere” beliefs that require them to deny services like taxis or hotel rooms to gay people. They’re not sincere at all. They’re nasty, fake people.
Jimthy
OM Ru paul! I got an invitation to go to this shi*! I don’t support this Jerk and Jerket.Hello I’m GAY.Into the trash it went?
Jimthy
OM Ru paul! I got an invitation to go to this shi*! I don’t support this Jerk and Jerket.Hello I’m GAY.Into the trash it went?. 30 people .Lol
Den
I kind of wonder if in hosting this re-election kickoff, the church in question was not jeopardizing their 501 (c) 3 IRS designation. I certainly hope so. These tax exempt organizations are not supposed to endorse candidates or take sides, either actively or passively.
Jack
Jesus. When you really think of the Republican snakes slithering around Florida….it’s a lost cause. It’s not conservative…..it’s now a fascist hellhole. I won’t even go there for work. Saw Florida off and shove it to Cuba. ¡A la mierda el ratón!…¡sálvate a ti mismo!
Essie
“. . . as he expected, the crowd was small.”
If he expected a small crowd then why did he have an “overflow room”. What will be his excuse at the next event in a larger town when the crowd is again small? Maybe his constituents are starting to realize they could probably do better and maybe pick someone to represent them who might not be going to jail.
P.S.: Ginger looks a little embarrassed, I think. Or maybe she’s feeling ridiculous in that short-ass dress and high heels. Wrong crowd for that.
gaym50ish
I didn’t know he had a wife. Did she know about the 17-year-old?
M K
OK, I don’t like this guy (or his little side kick) at all and think his policies he supports and his low life personal activities…. But after looking at some of the event footage I have to call out the reporting t say “about 30 people” is very far from the truth… while it wasn’t an overwhelming crowd, it was clearly many more than 30…. I’d say probably close to 100.
acpp
Yeah, that’s definitely more than the 30 people mentioned in this article. However he seemed to be expecting a bigger crowd than turned up. Maybe a hopeful sign.
TomG
We now know there are at least 30 deplorables who think Gaetz is worthy of anything.
Karlis
If the woman in the background in the top photo is the wife, the look on her face plainly says “You people in there can have him. Mama needs a drink now.”