Matt Gaetz Called Out for Citing Chinese Propaganda in Hearing

Matt Gaetz has been among the most singing Republicans in Congress when it pertains to punishing China. It needed to be more than a little awkward on Tuesday, then, when the Florida congressman got called out in a House Armed Services Committee hearing for citing Chinese propaganda while attempting to make a point about cutting off U.S. help to Ukraine.

“Is the Azov Battalion getting access to U.S. weapons?” Gaetz asked Colin Kahl, the U.S. defense undersecretary for policy. The Azov Battalion is a questionable, reactionary system within Ukraine’s nationwide guard. Kahl appeared puzzled. “Not that I’m familiar with,” he stated. “But if you know I’d more than happy to hear it.”

Gaetz then participated in the record a report from the Global Times about how the Azov Battalion was getting U.S. weapons as far back as 2018. “Any factor to disagree with that evaluation?”

“I’m sorry, is this the Global Times from China?” Kahl asked.

“No, this is—” Gaetz started prior to taking a look at his notes. “It may be, yeah,” he continued.

“As a basic matter, I put on’t take Beijing’s propaganda at face value,” Kahl said.

Gaetz asked him to answer the question. “I put on’t have any evidence one way or the other,” Kahl said before reiterating that he doesn’t take Beijing’s propaganda at stated value.

“Fair enough, I would agree with that assessment,” Gaetz stated before quickly moving on.

Khal wasn’t the only one who dunked on Gaetz on Tuesday. Rep. Eric Swalwell called him out for inviting Corey Beekman, a combat veteran, to lead the Pledge of Allegiance ahead of the year’s first Judiciary Committee hearing. “It is my pleasure and distinct honor to introduce to the committee Staff Sergeant Corey Ryan Beekman, an American hero and a constituent of mine residing in Pensacola, Florida,” Gaetz stated.

As Swalwell pointed out on Tuesday, Beekman is an accused murderer who wound up in a standoff with police. “That’s why there’s a trust deficit here,” Swalwell stated. “You pull off a public stunt to try to own the libs, and what you did is you brought in a guy who allegedly shot two people and killed one of them. That’s where the trust deficit is.”

Gaetz apologized to the family of Billy Buchanan, whom Beekman allegedly shot and killed, in a statement to the Daily Beast earlier this month. “The family of Billy Buchanan brought the situation to my attention, and I’m glad they did,” Gaetz stated, including that the choice had some “unintentional effects.”