During Tuesday’s televised hearing the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack revealed the names of eleven congressional Republicans who attended a December 21, 2020 White House meeting with then-President Donald Trump and his top aides to discuss ways to promote his false claims in an effort to overturn the election.
The January 6 Committee “introduced evidence that the White House coordinated with members of Congress to encourage the Big Lie and to fight the election results,” reports Heather Cox Richardson at the Milwaukee Independent.
“Representative Mo Brooks (R-AL) set up a meeting between members of Congress (and one member-elect) on December 21, with the subject line: ‘White House meeting December 21 regarding January 6.’ That meeting included Trump, Pence, Meadows, Giuliani, and ten representatives: Brian Babin (R-TX), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Andy Harris (R-MD), Jody Hice (R-GA), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Scott Perry (R-PA), and recently elected Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).”
Social media users expressed astonishment that barely hours later, Rep. Matt Gaetz, who attended the meeting on how to overturn the election, took to Twitter to mock John Bolton. One of Trump’s former National Security Advisors, Bolton that same day had told CNN: “As somebody who has helped plan coup d’etat, not here, but other places, it takes a lot of work.”
In response, Gaetz declared, “John Bolton is against any coup he didn’t help plan!”
Many mocked the Florida Republican, with some taking his remark as a confession – inadvertent or not.
Attorney George Conway was among those taking a shot at the pro-Trump Florida Congressman. He tweeted, “PRO TIP: don’t enter into any criminal conspiracies with Matt Gaetz,” and a one-word response: “Um…”
Minnesota attorney Matt Pelikan, responding to Conway added, “Just Matt Gaetz out here admitting to a coup and somehow thinking it’s a dunk on John Bolton.”
“Don’t think Matt has any room to talk about ‘planning coups’…the entire planet now knows he was at the WH (along with his House cohorts in crime) in Dec. 2020 to plan the Jan 6 insurrection,” wrote one Twiter user.
“Nice self-own, Bevis,” wrote another.
“Is this a confession, Mattie?” asked a Twitter user.
“After Bolton publicly admits planning coups, so does Gaetz,” tweeted an account named “Conservative Self Own.”
On user focused on reports Gaetz had openly used his Venmo account to pay sex trafficker Joel Greenberg, who then “venmoed” three young women.
“Is Gaetz really dunking on Bolton because he wasn’t included in their plot to overthrow the government? Captain Venmo might be a dumbass,” they wrote.
And another, tweeting directly to Rep. Gaetz, said: “Sir, are you implying that a coup was planned here and that John Bolton is whining that he wasn’t a part of it? Dude, just stop talking. Your asking for a pardon, and your record, and allegations are such, that you should exercise the 5th. Not an attorney, but hey, what do I know.”