Fresh off the heels of his money-losing summer fundraising tour with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rep. Matt Gaetz is hitting the road again in hopes of raising some much-needed cash for his broke reelection campaign.
Gaetz is teaming up with Florida Rep. Anthony Sabatini to host what is being billed as an “America First Rally” at a local Florida watering hole this weekend.
Sabatini made headlines last month when he introduced a bill in the Florida House that would prosecute doctors who give hormone blockers or hormone therapy or who perform gender-affirming surgeries on trans kids.
“No parent should be allowed to sterilize, castrate, or permanently disfigure a child,” Sabatini said when introducing the transphobic legislation.
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Related: Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz are almost broke
The two bigots will be hosting the fundraiser at some place called JB Boondocks Bar & Grill in Howey in the Hills, Florida at 11 a.m. Saturday morning and, according to the Eventbrite page, everyone’s invited.
Orlando Weekly reports:
The legally troubled congressman from the Panhandle and Central Florida’s biggest Donald Trump sycophant are meeting up to spout terrible memes and vague notions of freedom at an unmasked crowd.
Expect the “rally” to be chock full of bored retirees, who can no longer while away the hours listening to their favorite conspiracy-peddling radio hosts. We can’t speak for the food, might be good. The fact that the restaurant name is spelled three different ways on the flyer, on Facebook and on their website offers little in the way of clues.
A state congressman and a U.S. congressman holding a fundraiser at a bar in Florida is about as trashy as it gets. Then again, this is Matt Gaetz we’re talking about.
As of last month, his campaign had about $1.5 million in cash on hand, but it’s been operating at a loss for most of 2021. In the third quarter, which has been his weakest this year, Gaetz raised $527,150 but spent $627,129. A lot of the money has gone to consultants, campaign staff, and mailers. On top of all that, he’s had to issue almost $9,000 in refunds to donors.
So what does all this mean anyway? Well, it’s pretty clear Matt Gaetz loves attention. That’s why he’s always pulling PR stunts, like joining the #FreeBritney movement, or claiming someone is out to kill him, or fighting with Attorney General Merrick Garland on the House floor. But none of it is actually paying off. His campaign coffers are empty and the only venues that will book him are local bars that are, quite literally, in the boondocks.
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
Mister P
I don’t think anyone in Florida is going to be turned off by a couple of white trash politicians.
rockland2u
campaign funds, to pay his bar bill?
GayEGO
Pahleeze! Why do we have such horrible people in our government? Get rid of him!
Mack
It’s Florida where they elect the scum of the earth.
barryaksarben
the locations name tells you all you need to know. The only place a bar named that ridiculous name would even exist is in a white only rich enclave that thinks it is a “cute” place while practising racism, homophobia and sexism over some onion rings and a bud
Heywood Jablowme
You mean there’s no Mr. J.B. Boondocks in Howey in the Hills, FL? I wouldn’t be 100% sure about that! In the military I encountered a Southerner whose surname was Turnipseed, no kidding.
BaltoSteve
Oh boy Gaetz handing out Jell-O shots to underage coeds…. The only thing that makes this different than any other time in a bar is that he’s the one getting paid.
darkanser
“No parent should be allowed to sterilize, castrate, or permanently disfigure a child,”…..I’d add until the child can make informed decisions about such surgeries. Intersex Rights advocates have been saying this for years!!!
Heywood Jablowme
Is there currently any state where that is happening? My impression is that’s a hysterical charge the right-wingers throw around, but it’s not actually happening.
Invader7
Dear Matt & ALL of your fellow creepy , hypocrite ,sleazy, CROOKED low life republithugs : Get Covid and just DIE !!!!! That would be your karma…