Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) will appear at one of Donald Trump’s properties on Friday night to speak at an event hosted by the group that held the Jan. 6 pro-Trump rally in Washington, D.C. that turned into the insurrection.
Women for America First announced that Gaetz would be speaking at their “Save America Summit” at the Trump National Doral in an email Tuesday. The event is scheduled to take place from Thursday through Sunday, and Gaetz will speak Friday night, according to the email.
It might not make immediate sense why the group would invite the congressman to their summit. After all, he’s acknowledged that he’s under federal investigation, reportedly for potentially having had sex with a 17-year-old girl.
But Gaetz himself has taken the investigation in stride, denying all wrongdoing and even fundraising off of the spotlight.
Join me at Trump Doral Friday!
Thank you to “Women for America First” for the invitation to share my vision for our great nation. https://t.co/FxkgaZqeC8
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) April 6, 2021
Other high-profile speakers slated for the multi-day event, according to Women for America First, include Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX).
A spokesperson for Women for America First didn’t respond to TPM’s request for comment about the details of Gaetz’s spot in the lineup, but the group’s chairwoman Amy Kremer told the Washington Examiner in a statement, “We are aware of the controversy surrounding Congressman Gaetz.”
“We know firsthand what it is like to be treated unfairly by the main stream media,” Kremer said. “We know that partisan political witch hunts are standard operating procedure for many in the media. We believe that you are innocent until proven guilty.”
The email announcement didn’t get into the congressman’s recent difficulties.
“Congressman Matt Gaetz has been a fearless leader in Washington,” the email read. “Few members of Congress have been more willing than Matt to stand up and fight on behalf of President Trump and his America First Agenda. We are honored to have Congressman Gaetz speak at the Save America Summit.”
The event will also feature former acting ICE director Thomas Homan, former acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan, and Jack Posobiec, the far-right activist now working for One America News Network.
This post has been updated.
