Watch: Matt Gaetz Condemns Violent Rhetoric, Triggers Outcry from House Democrats
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) on Wednesday highlighted the double standard of his Democrat colleagues — many of whom have accused President Trump of inciting the lawlessness that occurred at the U.S. Capitol last week — reminding them of the inaction they took as Black Lives Matter and Antifa burned down cities and police stations during the protests over the summer, triggering an outcry from House Democrats in the chamber.
In a brief but fiery speech on the House floor, Gaetz repeated the sentiments of his colleagues that “words matter.” However, the Florida lawmaker used his time to demonstrate that Democrats failed to maintain the same standards last year as rioters burned down cities and destroyed livelihoods across the nation for months on end.
“The Speaker said to us just moments ago, words matter. But apparently, those words don’t matter when they’re uttered by Democrats,” he said.
“…When the gentlelady from Massachusetts calls for unrest in the streets, when the gentlelady from California brazenly brags that she called for people to get in the faces of those who serve and support the president,” he continued.
“I denounce political violence from all ends of the spectrum, but make no mistake – the left in America has incited far more political violence than the right,” he continued:
“For months, our cities burned. Police stations burned. Our businesses were shattered, and they said nothing, or they cheerleaded for it, and they fundraised for it, and they allowed it to happen in the greatest country in the world,” Gaetz continued, as his Democrat colleagues became audibly irritated.
“Now some have cited the metaphor that the president lit the flame, well they lit actual flames, actual fires,” he said as opposition became louder and he yielded back.
Prior to that, Gaetz noted that breaching the Capitol was “as low as low can be,” adding that “we all denounce it.”
“This president has faced unprecedented hatred and resistance from big media, big tech, and big egos from congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle,” he said, reminding colleagues of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) physically tearing apart President Trump’s State of the Union speech last year — an action Gaetz said incited “anger, resentment, division.”
“Some believe that, truly, these true colors are being shown now through this divisive partisan impeachment,” he added.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) also took an opportunity to highlight the hypocrisy of his Democrat colleagues on Wednesday:
C-SPAN“Americans are tired of the double standards. They are so tired of it,” the Ohio Republican said, noting that Democrats “objected to more states in 2017 than Republicans did last week.”
“Democrats can raise bail for rioters and looters this summer, but somehow when Republicans condemn all the violence, the violence this summer, the violence last week, somehow we’re wrong,” he added.