What Comes After: A 2024 Game (Gameplay-PAUSED)

[Alcibiades]

Matt Gaetz Announcement Speech — Pensacola, FL, February 16th, 2023


Credit: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

Thank you, thank you. Wow, it’s incredible to see so many patriots here today. This may seem an odd way start a campaign announcement speech, but the truth is, I wish I wasn’t running for president. I wish I was standing beside President Trump, working as hard as possible for him to take our country back and restore him to the office that is rightfully his. But as we all know, the Biden regime has been using the DOJ as its political hit squad, and have tyrannically prevented the President from running in 2024.

But no matter how hard they try, no matter how much fraud they commit, they can’t keep the MAGA movement down. A movement with the vast majority of hardworking, decent patriots in this country on its side. That’s why I’m running for President. The truth is President Trump was just getting started when his tenure in office was so tragically and unfairly cut short by the massively and historically rigged 2020 election. He had put our country back on the right path for the first time in years, and it’s up to us - all of us - to finish that vital work.

I wish I could say the same about many of the other candidates who claim to call themselves Republicans. But let me let you in on a secret - they were jumping for joy when they heard about the Biden regime’s sham charges against President Trump. Despite their public statements, they always hated him. Why? Because they hate you. They fear you. For the first time, control of our party had been wrested away from the contemptuous RINO elites, and handed over to ordinary patriots. Now they want to take it back. Every Republican voters needs to think long and hard about which candidates stood with President Trump from the beginning until the bitter end, and which ones only did so when it was convenient to advance their own slimy careers.

I am the only authentic MAGA candidate in this race, the only Republican who truly cares about you, the people. I will never bow down to the DC donor class, to the swamp creatures whom President Trump struck the fear of God into. I don’t need to tell you that we may no longer have a country if we fail. But together, we will win, we will take our country back, and, yes, we will make America great again. Thank you, God bless you all, and God bless the United States of America.

[Alcibiades]

Matt Gaetz For President — March to May 2023

Gaetz’s overall strategy centres on being the ‘true MAGA’ candidate, and trying to build a path by consolidating the sizeable share of the Republican primary electorate who remain die-hard Trumpists. To this end, he is focusing his attacks on the relatively non-Trumpist candidates, while avoiding giving oxygen to his competitors on the furthest-right end of the field, instead banking on his greater institutional support, as a sitting Congressman, and polished media persona, having been a regular on the right-wing cable circuit for years. Gaetz is avoiding detailed policy pronouncements, judging that this is not the territory on which Republican primaries are won in this day and age, instead using bombastic rhetoric and eye-catching announcements in the vein of Trump’s liberal-outrage-mongering in 2016, such as mass-firings of ‘woke’ and ‘unpatriotic’ federal bureaucrats.

Gaetz is hosting regular meetings with his supporters in the House Freedom Caucus to strategise, and ensuring a heavy presence in the right-wing media, ranging from cable shows to pro-Trump social media influencers. Of course, the campaign is also hitting the ground in the early primary states, with a particular focus on Iowa, as a state which swung heavily Republican in the Trump era. Here, the campaign’s focus, using data analytics, is to identify previously low-turnout voters, concentrated in working-class areas in particular, who are primarily motivated by support for President Trump rather than the Republican Party in general, who we hope can be won over by our MAGA messaging and attacks on the ‘RINO establishment’. We also have hopes for New Hampshire, with its large constituency of secular but culturally conservative whites. South Carolina is not receiving as much attention at the moment (although we do hope that a general consolidation of support among the far-right of the party can help us to a decent showing there), while in Nevada we are employing a similar strategy to Iowa, with added focus on pro-Trump Hispanics. In terms of building up a ground game, we are utilising our deep connections to Trumpworld to hire staffers and volunteers.

Interview on Tucker Carlson Tonight, April 21st, 2023

 
Credit: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

Carlson: And we’re now delighted to be joined by Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida, who recently announced his bid for the Republican nomination for President. Congressman, welcome back to the show.

Gaetz: Thank you Tucker, always a pleasure to join you.

Carlson: So, uh, there are a lot of candidates running, in this primary, all saying they’re the most conservative or patriotic choice, as you’d expect. What makes you different?

Gaetz: Well Tucker, I think you have to look back to when President Trump took the 2016 primary by storm. Republican voters wanted someone who would go to Washington DC and really shake things up, who would drain the swamp. What you have to understand about the Republican Party is that we’re often our own worse enemy; specifically, the party elites and donor class are frequently utterly out of touch with what ordinary patriots want. I’m not gonna listen to special interests or swamp creatures, my only loyalty is to our voters and their priorities. And what I know is that they still want to continue the work of the Make America Great Again Movement, and I’m never gonna give up on the fight President Trump started. Too many of my competitors in this race have shown that their comittment to this fight is dubious at best, but this is a fight we simply can’t afford to lose, otherwise the Radical Left is gonna burn this country to the ground.

Carlson: Well of course, I think we both agree on the threat the America-hating left poses, but what exactly is your plan to take them on and beat them?

Gaetz: The key - and I think is something that a lot of Republicans politicians just don’t get - is institutions and culture, Tucker. The left has been infiltrating these for decades now, a toxic, creeping process which has now reached boiling point. And the problem is too many of our so-called ‘conservative’ leaders have been totally complacent in the face of this threat. The truth is, Tucker, that a lot of my opponents move in the same elite social circles as leading liberal Democrats, and, they’ll say their bit about conservative values, but at the end of the day they’re terrified of not getting invited to prestigious cocktail parties by their leftist buddies. One of the reasons I think I’m best-placed to take this on is that I’ve been in the belly of the beast as a member of Congress for six years now, so I know what the Swamp is like. I could have taken the easy route like too many of my colleagues, and sucked up to the RINO leadership to get plum positions, but I chose to try and fight those who wanted to subvert the MAGA agenda from the inside. And, you know, I’m sure all my opponents will talk about how they’re against CRT and woke culture, but what are they gonna do about it? If I’m elected President, I’m gonna be looking very hard at the senior employees and officials of our bloated federal government, and firing anyone who’s not a 100% America-loving patriot.

Carlson: You talk about fighting woke culture, but hasn’t your fellow Floridian Ron DeSantis been very strong on that as Governor?

Gaetz: DeSantis talks a big game, but what’s really behind it? He stands there and takes credit for the accomplishments of the fantastic patriot legislators we have in this state. But where was he when the Democrats were hell-bent on destroying President Trump? Where was he, Tucker? I’ll tell you where, in the Governor’s Mansion, licking his lips with delight, because his main rival had been eliminated. I served with Ron in the House, and let me tell you: the only thing he cares about is himself. President Trump calls him Ron DeSanctimonious for a reason - he’s a smarmy, two-faced elitist. Let me just say, and I think you know this Tucker, and your viewers certainly know it, Republican voters don’t accept imitations.

[Alcibiades]

Matt Gaetz For President — June to September 2023


Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Fighting the Establishment

Gaetz’s main message remains that he is a dogged fighter for the movement President Trump started and still leads, if not in person, then definitely in spirit, and a crusader against the corrupt and crooked elements of the Republican Party establishment, who, Gaetz contends, conspired to bring Trump down from within, before, during and after his presidency. More broadly, Gaetz continues to pitch himself as the candidate, unlike the establishment, who is responsive to rank-and-file voters’ concerns, assailing special interests and lobbyists, and their ties to establishment Republicans. Attacks against the “deep state” and politically-motivated law enforcement, chiefly the investigation into Trump, are sure ways to raise loud applause at rallies.

To distinguish himself within the crowded Trumpist lane, Gaetz has pitched his experience as a member of Congress taking on these establishment interests from within, highlighting himself as a fighter with proven results. This is in implicit contrast to some of his rivals, especially Kari Lake, with very few, if any, political achievements to their name (Gaetz has also warned against those trying to make a quick buck by hitching themselves to the Trump train, without evidence of any real commitment to his movement), but has been careful to avoid mentioning her or any, other of the candidates fighting it out to win the MAGA faction, by name, to avoid unnecessarily raising their profile or appear desperate. However, this certainly does not apply to the more ‘mainstream’ candidates, especially Ron DeSantis, whom Gaetz has continued to assail.

This theme is encapsulated in Gaetz’s main ad campaign of the summer, airing throughout the key target regions mentioned below, in which he touts his role in bringing down Kevin McCarthy in his bid for Speaker - emblematic of Gaetz taking on the corrupt party establishment.

A Shifting Geographic Focus

Following disappointing polling, the Gaetz campaign has been quietly shifting resources out of New Hampshire, and into Iowa and surrounding Midwestern and Rust Belt states, but also into the South. While the campaign had not initially been too optimistic about the region, a number of factors have led to a changing calculus there: with his district in the Florida Panhandle, Gaetz is one of the few candidates with an indisputably Southern home constituency, and, furthermore, the region was Trump’s strongest in 2016, raising hopes for success for Gaetz’s similar brand of politics.

In keeping with his campaign theme of appealing to right-wing voters neglected by the Republican establishment, Gaetz has focused many of his campaign trail stops on ‘left-behind’ areas - economically distressed Midwestern and Southern rural small towns, ex-industrial Rust Belt cities, and the Appalachian coalfields. Many such places have traditionally had low turnout in Republican primaries, but they saw large numbers turn out to vote Republican, often for the first time, in 2016 and 2020. The Gaetz campaign hopes that they can get these ‘low-propensity’ Trumpists to turn out for him in the primary.

Young Voters

Another demographic in which the campaign has sensed an opening is Millenial and Generation Z Republicans. Whilst far from a majority, this group is still very sizeable - around 30% of Trump 2020 voters were under 40 - and is arguably the most neglected demographic in Republican primaries. Gaetz seeks to appeal to young voters based on his anti-establishment, insurgent rhetoric, presence within the right-wing social media sphere, his own status as the youngest GOP primary candidate, and his relative social libertarianism, for instance having one of the most pro-marijuana voting records of any Republican congressperson. An early sign of the success of this strategy was his endorsement by the New York City Young Republican Club, where he gave the following speech:

From listening to a lot of members of our party, I sometimes wouldn’t know that any of them actually wanted our party survive beyond the next twenty years. They cling to the same old tired, failed dogmas which belong in a bygone era, such as bloated spending on endless wars, delusions of ‘bipartisanship’ and ‘moderation’, and the disastrous War on Drugs, which is about as big government as you can get. I know that you are at the vanguard of the fight for America First policies within your generation, where tragically far too many have been infected by woke ideology and far-left ideas. I will be relentless in combatting these, by taking on the institutions - our schools and our colleges, hijacked by the Radical Left - which spread them. But when you look at how relatively few young people vote Republican, whilst it’s terrible, it’s sadly understandable. For too long our party has neglected you and your interests, and failed to listen to your voices. As President, I promise that will change.

[Alcibiades]

Matt Gaetz Debate Answers

1. An Opening Statement

Good evening, it’s great to be here tonight in my wonderful home state. Eight years ago now, Donald Trump stood in the exact same position we’re all in here. He launched more than just a candidacy, he launched a movement. And though the partisan liberal DOJ has crookedly prevented him from running again, they can’t kill an idea. And that’s why I’m running for President, to finish the work President Trump started: to take on special interests and the Deep State, fight like hell for conservative policies, end wokeism, and, yes, after the nightmare of the last four years, make America great again. Ladies and gentlemen, you need to ask yourself, which of the candidates on the stage tonight have always stood beside Donald Trump, have taken on the corrupt Washington establishment, never bowed to lobbyists and elites? In my six years in Congress, that’s what I’ve always done, and just earlier this year I took out one of the biggest swamp creatures of them all, Kevin McCarthy. I’m not sure how many of my colleagues here tonight can say the same. I promise will always stand up for you, the hard-working patriots who, in spite the onslaught of radical leftist attacks we’re seeing now, make our country worth fighting to keep, and for no one else.

2. Raise your hand if you believe that Donald J. Trump is the rightful winner of the 2020 Presidential Election (Say if you raised your hand and if you like, write one or two sentences)

Raises hand. I think it’s obvious to any patriot that there was massive fraud against President Trump by Democrat governors and the Deep State in 2020, perpetrated under the cover of tyrannical Covid measures, and, considering how close the election was in spire of this, he almost certainly would have won if it had been run fairly. Frankly I question the commitment to fighting for our party’s values from any Republican here who’s not raising their hand, and folding so easily in the face of liberal lies and bullying.

3. Who is your favorite Republican President in your lifetime? (Keep your answer concise, 2-4 sentences)

Easily President Trump. He was the first president from either party in a long time to stand up for ordinary people, and not be cowed by the party establishment. He’s a fighter, a winner, who took on the swamp and delivered his fantastic MAGA agenda - whether it’s confirming judges, cutting taxes, getting fairer trade deals, or defending our country from illegal aliens, there’s something that every patriot can get behind. President Trump brought in a lot of new people who had never voted Republican before, and fundamentally changed our party for the better. It’d be a damn tragedy to undo all that work now.

4. The United States has an out of control inflation problem. The cost of housing, food, energy, and gasoline is spiraling, what will you do to control inflation and bring down costs for working Americans?

The main thing we have to do is get runaway government spending out of control. Now this is what most of the other candidates have said here tonight, but they don’t actually want to get to the root of the problem. See, while of course Biden and the Democrats are the main villains here, the truth is many Republicans are complicit too. I’ve seen it first hand in Congress, they add absurd and ridiculous spending provisions onto bills to satisfy their donors and lobbyists. Like with so many other problems our country faces, if we want to get serious about tackling inflation, we need to get serious about draining the swamp.

5. Will you support a national abortion ban? Would it be after 15 weeks of pregnancy? 10 weeks? 6? Or would you prohibit all elective abortions?

First of all, I’m 100% pro-life, and I think we need to be vary wary of the increasingly extreme rhetoric coming from the left on this issue, up to and including infanticide. I’ve sponsored legislation to introduce a nationwide ban on abortions after babies feel pain, at 20 weeks. That said, what made Dobbs such a great decision was it re-affirmed the doctrine of states’ rights, so ultimately that’s where the decision will have to lie. Personally, I’d support states introducing a ban after about 10 weeks, which I think embraces our pro-life values while recognising this is an issue people have strong and differing feelings on. We saw the losses Republicans suffered in the midterms when candidates started talking about eliminating exceptions for rape and the life of the mother, which I think is a distraction from the central issue of protecting life in the vast majority of abortions which aren’t covered by these exceptions.

To Representative Gaetz: Congressman, you were subject to a sex trafficking investigation, and while you are unlikely to be charged, this in conjunction with other allegations over your personal conduct has raised concerns over your fitness to serve. Are you fit?

When you say “unlikely to be charged”, let me translate: these allegations are 100% fabricated, probably politically-motivated, and have been dismissed as groundless by the DOJ. I am completely devoted to my wonderful wife and son, as anyone who knows me would tell you. Now, as for being “unfit” to serve, these are the exact same smears that were used by liberals and RINOs in the fake news media against President Trump. This is what they’ll call anyone who dares fight and take on the swamp, and doesn’t conform to the establishment’s norms of “civility” and “moderation”. Frankly, folks, I think it shows the bias we’re facing here that Neil has asked this question to me, and not to Governor DeSantis, considering the many credible stories we’re hearing every day about his personal conduct.

[Alcibiades]

Matt Gaetz Debate Answers

1. Under President Biden America has witnessed a shocking border crisis, with total madness and chaos as thousands of people and unlimited drugs, fentanyl, cocaine, pours into the United States. What steps will you take to bring this crisis under control, and also, how do you approach immigration in general? Do we need controls on all immigration?

First of all, we need to finish building the wall. President Trump stood up to the bipartisan elite consensus on immigration, which has harmed law-abiding, hardworking Americans for decades, and I will finish that work after the disaster that has been the Biden Administration. We also need to higher more border patrol agents, and crack down on sanctuary cities, which liberals use to attack our country from within. I’ve made several efforts to impeach Secretary Mayorkas for crisis at the border. As for immigration in general, the current levels of people flooding over our border are not sustainable. The increase in crime and depression of working class American wages they bring is not acceptable. So I think we need to seriously consider putting much harder limits on immigration. That said, there will of course always be a place in America for law-abiding immigrants who play by the rules, and those fleeing tyranny, which is very evident to me as a Floridian who has seen in particular the wonderful contribution our Cuban community makes.

2. Raise your hand if you support cost-controlling reforms to entitlement programs that Senate and House Republicans such as Scott Perry and Jim Jordan are supporting. (You may write one sentence)

Raises hand. We need to get spending under control, and, while I might not go as far on Social Security as them, I’m proud to join with my distinguished House Freedom Caucus colleagues on this.

3. Do you support continued monetary and weapons aide to Ukraine in their fight against Putin's Russia?

No, I’ve been very clear that we need to stop funnelling these billions to Ukraine, as reflected in my House voting record. We need to put America First, put our own house in order before helping countries that can’t stand on their own two feet. So many Republicans talk about cutting the deficit, reducing our national debt, but we see it’s all empty words when they continue to support this kind of exorbitant spending. And you know, yes, we’re all very sorry about what’s happened in Ukraine, but they’re not exactly squeaky clean themselves. All this money has been sent with zero accountability, just a blank cheque, and there’s probably been a lot of corruption.

4. What will you do to end the spread of Marxism, woke ideology, and Critical Race Theory in America's public schools?

I will be merciless in the fight against woke ideology capturing our institutions and poisoning our kids’ minds. You need to understand this is about elite cultural capture, and we need to fight it at its roots, which is why I’ve promised to fire woke, America-hating federal bureaucrats, and end all diversity, equity and inclusion programmes in the federal government. As for schools, we’re seeing a lot of parents mobilising at the local level to put an end to this crap, and a Gaetz Administration will wholeheartedly support them, and any efforts to make it easier to get rid of teachers and administrators who refuse to do their job.

5. Do you believe that free trade is a net benefit for the American economy?

Well, obviously a lot of the ways it’s been done over the past few decades haven’t been. It’s another example of the needs of everyday American workers being ignored in favour of the elites’ globalist projects. But what President Trump did was renegotiate them to get a better deal for Americans, real smart negotiating. I’ll continue that work, always looking out for American workers, manufactures and national security interests above all else. We need smart trade, not free trade.

To Representative Gaetz: Congressman Mike Rogers of Alabama joked to a reporter the other day that you have done nothing whatsoever in your time of Congress aside from getting the phone numbers of female staff members. What have you done in Congress?

Well, first of all, I’d like to say I hope Representative Rogers has gotten the help he needs to deal with his anger management problem. I’m not sure why you’re putting any stock in the word of a man who was willing to commit physical violence on the floor of the People’s House to defend the honour of a RINO squatter. I can’t think of anything more pathetic. And you know, Mike, if you’re listening, you are allowed to talk to women in a friendly workplace manner, you should give it a try sometime. That of course brings me on to one of my finest accomplishments in Congress, ensuring Kevin McCarthy never became Speaker, which would have been a betrayal of everything voters chose a Republican majority for. No one has fought harder than me against the stifling dominance of special interests than Congress, and when McCarthy was leader, it’s true, I paid for that in not getting as many committee spots as if I’d just been his lapdog. But that hasn’t stopped me from sponsoring many bills, such as banning abortions after babies feel pain, impeaching Biden, and decriminalising marijuana, which is an issue Republican leaders are increasingly out-of-step with our voters on.

[Alcibiades]

Matt Gaetz For President — October 2023 to early February 2024


Credit: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

As the first primaries approached, Gaetz focused his efforts on Iowa, as well as increasing his presence in New Hampshire, in addition to Trumpists, seeking to appeal to the libertarian voters the state is well-known for with his stances on issues such as marijuana legalisation. While he has largely written off South Carolina, due to it being a winner-takes-all contest, he has campaigned heavily throughout the broader South. Gaetz continued to bring an aggressive, irreverent tone to his speeches, assailing his rivals, particularly Ron DeSantis as he had been throughout the entire campaign, and now Josh Hawley as well, picking up on the incongruence between the Senator’s supposed populism and own elite background, in an attempt to win over Trumpist voters from him.

Gaetz had proven to be the candidate of choice for young Republicans, and he has continued to capitalise on this, touring college campuses and speaking at Turning Point USA events. Gaetz has also been leaning into his social media appeal among the so-called Gaetzheads by posting memes attacking rivals on his Twitter account. Particularly popular efforts included a picture of Hawley at a black-tie event in Yale days captioned “How do you do, fellow populists?”, and responding to a Tweet from DeSantis sending his condolences to Kent Stermon’s family with the “We’re all looking for the guy who did this” meme.

DeSantis joined with fellow candidate Roger Stone and Congresswoman Anna Luna to deliver a press conference demanding accountability for DeSantis’ alleged corruption, where he delivered the following remarks:

Beheading the Snake

Over his years as Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis has garnered a commanding power over his state. The state party and government has largely been beholden to him, and he has exercised great powers from that. However, there's always been an undercurrent of discontent over the Governor's practices. There are those with simmering resentment over DeSantis, who is not exactly known as the most personable figure in interactions. Certain acts of his in office have also been quite alienating. There is also, of course, the many stories dripping out regarding improper conduct.

In late October, a significant puncture is to be made in the armor of DeSantis. Roger Stone invited Matt Gaetz and Anna Paulina Luna, both vocal in exposing deceit and corruption, to come along for a press conference in Jacksonville. They would call out DeSantis forcefully and demand accountability. Stone's remarks are as follows:

Good morning, everyone. Today I'm standing side by side with the honorable Congressman Gaetz and Congresswoman Luna because we all demand truth. There's been an utter plague of rumors, scandals, and other stories coming out about Governor Ron DeSantis for months now. While I can't claim to know just what is true and what is not, I do know this: Where there's smoke, there's fire. We've seen this time and time again with other governors in other states.

Governor DeSantis—who I won't refer to by his other name today out of courtesy *laughter*—has browbeat the State of Florida into always getting his way. He thinks he's above the rest of us and that the same rules don't apply to him. Clearly he believes someone like Andrew Cuomo is a good role model to look up to. Just like Cuomo, though, things have a way of eventually catching up to you.

The three of us are hereby calling on the Florida Legislature to open up nonpartisan investigation proceedings on DeSantis and his office. Has the Governor and his team abused powers and gone against the laws of Florida? To what extent has DeSantis had knowledge or involvement in any schemes or other acts, illegal and unethical? There have been credible reports of corruption, conflicts of interest, and outright bullying coming out for years across the political spectrum. They deserve to be looked into with a fair and open mind.

This is not a witch hunt, nor do we want this to be. Matt and I are especially familiar with how that goes. *laughter* What we want as constituents of Governor DeSantis, as fellow Floridians, is basic accountability. After an impartial investigation, the record will speak for itself. The truth will prevail.

With that, I'll turn it over to Matt and Anna.

Thank you, Roger, for the kind words and the very important message you delivered.

As a Florida Republican, you begin to notice certain things about how the Governor runs this state. All dissent crushed, an iron fist, an atmosphere of fear. Sadly, it’s unsurprising that far too few of my fellow Republicans in this state don’t want to speak out. The Governor has made it plainly clear what the consequences will be. But I’m here today to say enough is enough. We can’t have a Governor, and we certainly can’t have a President, who cares only about himself and will do anything to further that goal. No principles, no scruples, no loyalty. Why did he stand by and do nothing as President Trump, a resident of our great state, was mercilessly hounded by the Biden DOJ, but puts all his effort into quashing investigations into the infinitely more questionable conduct of himself and his allies?

In particular, I’d like to focus on the tragic case of Kent Stermon. Kent was a loyal Republican and MAGA patriot who I had the pleasure of meeting on several ocassions. Like many, he initially he put his faith in Governor DeSantis, who, after all, used to claim to be a staunch Trump supporter. But in recent months he grew increasingly disillusioned with the power-hungry, egomaniacal direction the Governor was taking. I’d heard he was planning to quit, with an explosive statement to boot. And then he turns up dead. Just like that. And then, even stranger, the Governor puts considerable effort into suppressing an investigation into the manner of his death. Look, I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but y’all are intelligent people, I don’t think I have to connect the dots here for you…

That’s why Roger, Anna and I are demanding a full investigation into Mr Stermon’s untimely death. Everyone knows the Governor has a lot of skeletons in his closet — and I mean that in more ways than one.

Congressional Votes

Senator Gillibrand's Family Bill of Rights: NAY
Senator Merkley's DISCLOSE Act: YEA

For too long special interests have dominated politics, on both sides of the aisle. Corruption is deeply embedded within Congress, where too many have forgotten they’re supposed to represent their constituents, not the Swamp. I’ve always made it clear I’ll work with my Democratic colleagues where we can find agreement on this issue, and that’s why I’m supporting this bill.

Senator Hawley's Stop the Censorship Act: YEA
The Sanders-Tillis Veteran's Healthcare Bill: YEA

[Alcibiades]

Matt Gaetz Debate Rebuttals

To Josh Hawley

"I would propose that we pass my 'Love America Act' which would require that all recipients of federal funding teach kids about the greatness of our country by requiring students to learn about our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, and our Bill of Rights. Some on this stage say the solution is just the opposite, that we should just leave it to localities and individual teachers. That's code for abdication. The next President has to stand up and fight this plague, and unlike others I will not hesitate to get in the ring."

How can you claim to fight against wokism in our schools when you’re using the exact same logic as the radical left, of big government micromanaging our communities? The truth is, Senator, just like these liberals, you’re an elitist at heart, obsessed with Washington issuing social-engineering dictates which treat the hardworking folks of the Heartland with contempt.

To Ron DeSantis

Governor, you’ve spoken a lot about how you support President Trump’s policies, but where were you when he needed you the most? Why didn’t you speak out when the DOJ came for him, do something to stop the Biden agents running around the very state you run? That’s right, because you were actually delighted that they were clearing the field for your primary run.

[Alcibiades]

Gaetz: From Iowa to New Hampshire

Following a disappointing showing on Iowa, Gaetz quickly put it behind him, heading to New Hampshire for some intensive ground-based campaigning. The campaign’s tone was as bombastic as ever, lobbing attacks at DeSantis, Hawley, “RINOs” in general, and — for the first time — Kari Lake, branding her a proven loser and opportunist with questionable commitment to the MAGA movement.

Gaetz is attempting to capture voters dissatisfied with the Republican mainstream from a variety of angles — of course the bread-and-butter of hardcore Trumpists, but also opening up new avenues with disaffected younger voters and libertarians (the latter particularly common in New Hampshire), blending outsider “drain the swamp” rhetoric with socially permissive policies on the likes of marijuana. Gaetz has also hoped his eschewal of hardcore social conservatism, compared to someone like Hawley, will help him win the secular white working class voters who are very common in New Hampshire, and who went Trump for the same reason.

[Alcibiades]

Gaetz Suspension and Endorsement of Stone


Folks, when I announced I was running for President, it was never about me. It was about you, us, keeping the MAGA movement that President Trump started alive. Recent results have made it clear that me remaining in the race for the Republican nomination is not conducive to achieving that end. Therefore, I am announcing today that I am suspending my campaign, and endorsing my great friend Roger Stone. Roger and I see eye-to-eye on almost everything, and few people have proven themselves greater patriots and friends to President Trump’s legacy. It was my pleasure to join with Roger to expose the corruption, crimes and lies of Ron DeSantis, and I know he is fervently committed to draining the swamp. It is now imperative that all MAGA patriots unite behind Roger’s campaign to ensure our movement carries this primary, and to stop all the RINOs and fakers competing for the nomination. Finally, I’d like to thank all the wonderful people who worked for, volunteered for, and endorsed my campaign. You have done a great service to this country, and you can all be tremendously proud of what we have achieved. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America!

[Alcibiades]

Gaetz hits the campaign trail for Stone

Following his endorsement of Roger Stone, Matt Gaetz did not spare any of his energies in ensuring his Trumpist ally won the nomination. Ahead of Super Tuesday, he made the rounds on right-wing news shows, and spoke in support of Stone at the young conservative organisations he'd found much support in during the primary, to try and corral these young voters into the Stone camp. Gaetz largely focused on the Midwest and South. Below is an excerpt from a speech he made to the Oklahoma University College Republicans:

Folks, I'm gonna be plain. This is not the kind of primary where, though we may have disagreements, we can all be confident in ending up with a great nominee we can unite behind. This is a sorry, sorry field in which Roger Stone is the only choice. I don't think I need to explain why Youngkin is awful, creature of the globalist establishment he is. Ron DeSantis, well, the guy's fighting for more than just his political life right now, he's done a lot of bad things that could end him up in a lot of trouble. He's corrupt to his core, and make no mistake: he'll sell the MAGA movement out on day one in office. And, finally, Josh Hawley, the most two-faced sonofabitch I've ever known; and as someone who's spent the last six years of his life in Congress, that's really saying something! A Yale and Stanford guy practically oozing with self-serving ambition; frankly, if you buy he's actually some kind of "populist", I'm not sure there's anything that can be done to help you.

But Roger is one of the biggest patriots I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. He loves this country to death, and he'll never back down in the fight to save it from the radical left. He'll never kowtow to special interests, and he will drain the swamp. This is a guy who is in it just for the pure love of our movement, who has no ambitions beyond that, who is actually a close personal friend of President Trump. Folks, do I even need to tell you? You have to get out and vote Roger Stone on Tuesday.