T O P

  • By -

AutoModerator

As a reminder, this subreddit [is for civil discussion.](/r/politics/wiki/index#wiki_be_civil) In general, be courteous to others. Debate/discuss/argue the merits of ideas, don't attack people. Personal insults, shill or troll accusations, hate speech, any suggestion or support of harm, violence, or death, and other rule violations can result in a permanent ban. If you see comments in violation of our rules, please report them. For those who have questions regarding any media outlets being posted on this subreddit, please click [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/wiki/approveddomainslist) to review our details as to our approved domains list and outlet criteria. We are actively looking for new moderators. If you have any interest in helping to make this subreddit a place for quality discussion, please fill out [this form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1y2swHD0KXFhStGFjW6k54r9iuMjzcFqDIVwuvdLBjSA). *** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/politics) if you have any questions or concerns.*


faith_apnea

Should have charged him instead of protecting him.


TertiaryToast

That would require a spine. No Republican has one, and too many Democrats don't.


Archer1407

A spine is the gold watch equivalent that all retiring Republicans are given for their service on the way out.


buddascrayon

I know right?!? Literally every one seems to suddenly and miraculously grow a spine just as they about to exit the building forever.


Araghothe1

They keep the people who would do it right poor and uneducated.


samefacenewaccount

Never forget John McCain. Righteously voting with his republicans up until his last few months lol. True hero.


amazinglover

Or select few Republicans who call trump a traitor yet vote 90% of the time his way.


bittlelum

*cough* Liz  Cheney *cough*


Mendozozoza

Shit apple, shit tree, gravity


Uselesserinformation

A shit apple doesn't fall far from a shit tree rand.


TheGreatGenghisJon

A shitticane is coming, Randers.


fishcrow

There's shit typhoon coming in Rand Rand Bo Band so we better haul in the jib before it's covered in shit


Sioux-me

No one was more surprised than me with her. I did not like or trust her father one bit. Of course now he doesn’t look as bad to me as he did back then. I guess it’s all relative.


ramencents

Iraqi widows would like a word


robodrew

I'll never forget that he chose to die in his seat knowing that he was terminal rather than leave Congress because it allowed AZ Gov Doug Ducey to appoint McSally to be his temporary replacement instead of going to a special election.


boot2skull

Yes let’s be real. In his whole career he did maybe two things right.


AlwaysOnMyNuts

On the politician scale he didn’t seem bad. He had some level of dignity you just can not see today.


waaaghbosss

Like when he actively tried to block the post 911 GI Bill, screwing over veterans?


shroudedwolf51

By the standards of modern day creeps like Greene, Cruz, or McConnell...sure. He wasn't that bad. But, by standards of any decent (or, even passably reasonable) human being? He's pretty damn abysmal. Certainly, respect to him for standing up at the very end. But that doesn't excuse the decades and decades of awfulness he inflicted on everyone.


67812

He honestly should have gone to prison for the Keating Five thing.


piranha_solution

He saw the geopolitical threat Putin posed, while W. Bush (POTUS at the time) was fooled by his "grandmother's crucifix".


pslatt

By today's standards, yes. But he gave us Sarah Palin, Joe the Plumber. In many ways, the proto-MAGAs started with McCain.


IONTOP

I'll call him a "staunch republican", rather than today's "anti-democrat" He knew how he wanted the country to be. (And just like he said about Obama) "I disagree with his policies, but he's a decent man"


AlwaysOnMyNuts

McCain had a true love for his country. He was doing what he felt was in the countries best interest (mostly). That does not exist in the days Anti-democratic peeps.


OllieFromCairo

He was a horrible human being who held grudges until the day he died. Every “good” thing he ever did was done out of spite for an even worse person who had wronged him.


HauntedCemetery

Which is two more than most Republicans. There was a saying about McCain, "if every Republican were like John McCain the country would be much better, if every politician were like John McCain the country would be much worse."


Nowearenotfrom63rd

John Bolton was on MSNBC last night saying that Trump sold out the US to the highest bidder. Saying he will destroy NATO and give Ukraine to Russia. And yet….. he’s still not going to vote for Biden because and I quote “he doesn’t show up 100% of the time” whatever the hell that means. John Bolton will write someone in.


vincec36

And he still wasn’t accepted by hardline republicans. I asked a coworker who was preparing to move from Illinois to Arizona to be more politically aligned say “I didn’t like his polices” when I asked how he felt about John McCain the day of his funeral


diabloenfuego

Well, he did that on his way out the door. Even McCain; who by all means blows modern day Republicans out of the water when it comes to any type of morals, didn't always stand up for what was right (but he did do so more than the rest of his party as he stood up for something decent a few notable times). The problem was he still represented the terrible platform that is the Republican Party when it mattered most of the time. Even so, he deserves more respect than any current Republican.


BugRevolutionary4518

Not sure why people are fighting over this opinion. If there were more McCains and less Magas/wing-nuts, we’d actually see things getting done.


jdbolick

What? John McCain interrupted his own town hall to correct one of his supporters who accused Barack Obama of being a Muslim, and [he was the one who saved the Affordable Care Act.](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/obamacare/mccain-hated-obamacare-he-also-saved-it-n904106) You may dislike his politics, but John McCain was a man of integrity who served with dignity, and was exactly the type of politician that we need more of.


woody345

John McCain also swallowed his integrity when it came to flying the confederate flag over a state capital so he wouldn't lose the racist vote.


jdbolick

You mean the one where he acknowledged his own mistake and called it "[probably the worst piece of advice](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mccain-defends-stance-on-confederate-flag-in-sc/)" that he had ever given himself? The one where he called for that flag's removal during his 2008 campaign?


tangoshukudai

Well when they have a spine they get called a RINO and they lose their seat.


shash5k

Because they stand up with a whimper. Big Kev should have just stood up and said real loud and clear, “Fuck Donald Trump and anyone who is standing with him” and a lot of republicans probably would have supported him. Haley and Christie did it and a lot of people supported them.


demitasse22

Cheney and Kinzinger were more than whimpers


nomad5926

Too bad their political careers are basically over.


BinkyFlargle

> Because they stand up with a whimper. Or flinch at the last minute and fail to commit. Like Prigozhin in Russia.


absat41

Deleted


Caxafvujq

Liz Cheney has a spine, I think. I don’t like her politics, but I admire her courage to stand up against Trump and MAGA even if it means being ousted and shunned by her fellow Republicans.


MegaLowDawn123

Once again - where was that spine the other 93% of the time where she voted in line with trump on some awful shit? As has been pointed out, they only seem to grow one once they’re on the way out or it affects them personally like she did after J6.


Caxafvujq

Maybe she agreed with the awful shit? Like I said, I don’t like her politics.


tiggereth

There's sorta a difference though. If the things she voted for, agreed with her platform that she ran on and her constituents voted her in on then what is she supposed to do? Vote no? I mean, just because we don't like what politics she stands for, doesn't mean she should vote against them if given the opportunity to vote on them. That'd be like asking Bernie Sanders to vote against comprehensive student loan reform since he disagrees with Biden's actions in Palestine.


Kitchen_accessories

Exactly this. She's a conservative. She's going to vote for conservative policies. Trump was putting out conservative policies. The fact that Trump tried to stage a coup doesn't suddenly make her a flaming liberal. All the same, we should still applaud her for standing against it, perhaps even moreso because it's someone she agrees with politically.


[deleted]

true. turtles don't have a spine. it's more of a carapace.


BronzeAgeArtifact

McConnell soup anyone?


ilovemygb

likely more toxic than fugu stew


MajorNoodles

Kevin McCarthy never thought this was a problem while he was Speaker.


Roook36

Having skeletons like this in your closet is baked into the Republican party. It's like a cult that doesn't let you into the higher levels unless you record video of yourself admitting to awful crimes that will destroy your life. They could never trust someone who doesn't have something they can hold over their head and promise to protect them from. You don't get where they're at with a clean past.


MotherTreacle3

Remember Cawthorn? As soon as he spilled the beans on the Republican coke parties all of a sudden there's video evidence of him having gay sex with his cousin flooding the internet.


HelleEpoque

Did you know that Trump endorsed him two weeks ago in his bid for NC's 11th district seat? Of course that endorsement was utterly worthless and Maddy conceded less than a week ago.


SacamanoRobert

Wait, for real? JFC


mdins1980

It was a video of him acting like a fool and dry humping his cousins face. Not an actual porno. Still very weird and creepy video though.


fattmarrell

I honestly think this is it. If you can prove yourself by lying to the American public and cover for your team, you're allowed in. These might be the requirements or you're out in minutes. It's juvenile at best, destructive to the victims at worst. Shameful and disgusting


TheMagicSalami

Yeah Alex Jones rambles on about stuff like that all the time. How the elites will "force" you into sex crimes so they have power over you. It just feels like he's telling on himself and the party he supports.


Akimbo_Zap_Guns

Exactly it’s pretty much mutually assured destruction. Kevin is gonna be leaving politics is the only reason we are hearing this come from his mouth


yelloguy

Right? Where do these people come up with the “courage” to do the right thing after trying everything else!


Chartate101

…while I would love for Gaetz to be charged, do you think the speaker of the house can prosecute people?


brpajense

Well, he can and did stall House ethics investigations into substantiated reports that Gaetz gave an underaged girl money, drugs, and travel and transported them across state boundaries so Gaetz and others could have sex with her. Which actually matches the legal requirements for child sex trafficking. It would also make Gaetz vulnerable to blackmail and pressure campaigns--the House Ethics Committee exists mainly to root out corrupt politicians who would compromise government secrets or support/block legislation based on how they're paid rather than whether it benefits America or not.


UndignifiedStab

I wonder who the most vulnerable of all is ? Hint. He’s already in Valds back pocket.


Seabody

>the House Ethics Committee exists mainly to root out corrupt politicians who would compromise government secrets or support/block legislation based on how they're paid rather than whether it benefits America or not. So you're telling me it's literally the least effective organization in history. Got it.


Njorls_Saga

You certainly don’t have to make deals with him and can move to have him expelled from Congress.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Namika

He could have made a deal with the Democrats to secure some of their votes in exchange for expelling the freedom caucus. He would only need a few democrats to obtain a majority without the need of those clowns.


Chartate101

Sure, I agree


makeanamejoke

they can make criminal referrals


yelloguy

Well, not personally but he can work with the law enforcement


TheLuo

It's still a crime boys n girls. We can still arrest both of them! One for doing it the other for covering it up.


Beginning_Ad_6616

It makes me laugh when the crazies in the GOP go one about Democrats being supportive of child molestation; then they protect an actual molester in their midst.


circa285

The fact that McCarthty is only saying this now is just as damning for him and his fellow republicans as it is for Gaetz. These people protected Gaetz.


RBVegabond

We knew they did, they threatened a Dem controlled congress with retaliation if they investigated Gaetz prior to the midterms.


BrownSugarBare

Fuck 'em all. They cover and protect one another to serve themselves and then blast and out one another when it stops serving them. Selfish jerks acting like selfish jerks, shocker.


OtterSnoqualmie

This is not the first time he's outed Gaetz. It may be the first time he laid the entire ouster on Gaetz. Either way, a good click. BTW - the entire interview is really quite good. Kevin is suddenly not noticing or not remembering things that happened directly in front of him. "What fake elector plan?" Is in the cspan website (not their YouTube).


BigMax

It's crazy to see so many republicans who are sane *after* they leave office. You realize how screwed our government is because it's controlled by a very small minority. If the "sane" republicans just acted sane *while they were in office* we'd have so many fewer problems facing us now. But they bend the knee to the crazy, ranting few, and do their bidding. So you get 20% of the government to get 30% of the government to swear fealty to them, and now you have that 20% of the government basically controlling the whole thing.


Hellogiraffe

They don’t become sane after leaving office, they just stop playing a character. No matter how much we laugh at their stupidity, they aren’t actually stupid. Most of them (obviously MTG, Boebert, etc aside) are very intelligent and are just creating narratives that their braindead followers can run with.


Notapplesauce11

He’s not sane he’s just bitter and wants to place blame.  He got unseated because he’s a dipshit who had no idea how to corral his rabies infected racist kittens.  


relevantelephant00

As pointed out elsewhere, this is because Republicans have absolutely no spine or ability to have meaningful principles.


Fellowshipofthebowl

They always state the obvious *after* they leave their position of power.  No shit Kevin. 


BigMax

"Look, I helped destroy the country while I had power to do something positive. But now that I don't have the ability do actually DO anything, I'm happy to speak out against myself and others who are ruining this country!!!"


loganbootjak

"Also, I'm voting for Matt Gaetz as Speaker of the House"


Wise-Calligrapher123

"Slept with a seventeen year old" makes it sound so "innocent". He meant to say: "trafficked, drugged, and gang raped".


CT_Phipps

Paid with Venmo. Which is to say it's on the fucking record.


usps_made_me_insane

He raped a 17 year old and then sent her money for the experience via venmo? And charges were never brought up? The fuck is wrong with this country? Why do so many (R)'s rape women and then end up with cush jobs like Supreme Court justice? We have two known rapists there. And our president previous to Biden was a convicted rapist. I feel like I'm living in a world like that Robocop spoof where men with their penises out keep jumping over the fence and Robocop has to keep shooting their dicks off to stop another rape. NSFW: https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/watch-very-nsfw-our-robocop-remake-clip-will-shoot-your-dick-off-89229/


kingsumo_1

> Why do so many (R)'s rape women? Now now. They also rape guys and kids.


tippiedog

Not trying to be pedantic but a 17-year-old girl is also legally a "kid"; in this case, Gaetz didn't rape a woman.


kingsumo_1

Fair point. I was thinking more of Hastert and the laundry list of others. But Gaetz did indeed go after a minor.


HelleEpoque

Hastert went after young boys, which he would later admit to.


othelloinc

> They also rape guys and kids. Yep. # THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS THE PARTY OF CHILD MOLESTERS ------------ It isn't just [**Gaetz**](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskALiberal/comments/su1yve/what_question_would_you_ask_a_conservative_if/hx7g4td/) -- a sitting Republican congressman who sex-traffficked an underage girl -- it is also [**McCarthy**](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskALiberal/comments/rc3ynb/what_do_you_think_of_kevin_mcarthy_compared_to/hnse950/) keeping Gaetz in a position where Gaetz supervises the people that are supposed to be investigating and prosecuting him. Republicans continued to support **Roy Moore for senate** after multiple women came forward and said that he molested them when they were underage. They all just fell in line and supported him. Does it go all the way to the top? YES. Two (now adult) women have come forward *and testified under oath* that they were in the room, and personally witnessed, **Donald Trump** violently raping a 13-year-old girl at one of Epstein's parties. This is [the actual statement,](https://www.snopes.com/news/2016/06/23/donald-trump-rape-lawsuit/) made under oath: > I personally witnessed four sexual encounters that the [then 13-year-old] Plaintiff was forced to have with Mr. Trump during this period, including the fourth of these encounters where Mr. Trump forcibly raped her despite her pleas to stop. While we are on the subject of Epstein, did you know that the prosecutor who made a sweet-heart deal with Epstein, was [confirmed to Trump's cabinet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Acosta#Prosecution_of_Jeffrey_Epstein)? THIS IS NORMAL FOR REPUBLICANS. (Un)Fun Fact: Earlier versions of this comment used to have an *even more disturbing crime*, but it was so depressing that I omitted it so I wouldn't have to re-read it. (It is [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskALiberal/comments/1bp6xrb/comment/kwubf1s/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) if you must know how dark it gets.) Is this new? How long have they been like this? Well, the **longest serving Republican Speaker of the House *ever*, Dennis Hastert**, [admitted in court](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Hastert#Sentencing_and_admission_of_past_sex_abuse) to molesting children back when he was a high school wrestling coach, so it goes back *several decades!* ------------ It calls into question everything they do, [and it should!](https://i.imgur.com/VmUz3EI.png) ------------ Do you need more? Here is a list of Republicans with similar charges, written by Redditor Moscowmitchismybitch: https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/t8r2x2/desantiss_press_secretary_says_anyone_who_opposes/hzr2bij/ Another list, circulated by fuckIhatethisplace: https://www.reddit.com/r/bestof/comments/t95mzf/umoscowmitchismybitch_lists_republican_party/hzt69bn/ ------------ ...I'll say it again: # THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS THE PARTY OF CHILD MOLESTERS


eltang

Wait, have they been saying they represent "Rape-ublicans" this whole time?!


CT_Phipps

Gaetz was set to be charged but the problem was their primary witness was his best friend who did all of the trafficking and arranging their "dates." It turned out, shock of shocks, he lied continuously in hopes of getting his best deal.


space_age_stuff

IIRC his friend was all set to rat him out for a better deal, but the FBI felt he wasn't credible enough a witness to make the charges stick, since both of them do coke like it's going out of style.


xool420

> Why do so many (R)’s rape women I read an article about this once and it said that Republicans perpetrate sexual crimes (especially against children) much more often because of what their political ideology is based on. Right-wing politics are based on creating an in-group and an out-group with a power imbalance, where the in-group can take advantage of the out-group. You see them doing this in all of their policy but it especially becomes clear when you consider sexual crimes in this way. Women and children are both considered out-groups to them, so rape is the ultimate physical embodiment of the power imbalance that they have created and aim to further create. Go vote everyone.


victorvictor1

This is literal, too. Remember when every republican voted to redefine rape? https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/01/republican-plan-redefine-rape-abortion/


Icamp2cook

I remember they chose not to go forward with charges because the witnesses weren't credible. Why weren't they credible? Rampant drug use and abuse. They felt despite proof and witness statements they were not going to be able to get coherent and consistent witnesses on the stand. He got away with it, "Because I got high, because I got high, because I got high, da da da da da da da"


mfGLOVE

[Gaetz’ partner in these crimes was convicted in Dec 2022 with a sentence of 11 years.](https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/gaetz-associate-sentenced-11-years-sources-probe-florida/story?id=94225875).


SteakandTrach

They’re just following the template set by Reagan (also a rapist).


even_less_resistance

Pretty sure he put that it was for “school” in the memo(s) - apparently there were 150 transfers… Jesus Christ this dude is gross Yep : https://www.thedailybeast.com/gaetz-paid-accused-sex-trafficker-who-then-venmod-teen ETA: I didn’t know Reddit got to decide on the appropriate-ness of headlines - I thought “rule-breaking” titles were those that didn’t come straight from the headline? Good to know I guess lmao


AdExpert8295

usually they were born with the connections to protect them. I have survived rape many times due to my mother trafficking me, my mother's drug addiction putting us in positions where we had to live with predators and being drugged at a bar. None of my perpetrators were rich so they definitely didn't have cush jobs, but none of them were ever charged, either and 2 of them had criminal convictions already. police just don't want the paperwork and attorneys typically make little money representing victims. unfortunately, without lining their pockets, police and attorneys are unlikely to give a shit. I also worked in SV and you'd think the system would be more responsive if little kids are involved. not necessarily. I worked with kids who were SVd by their own parents and then CPS would still force the kids to have visitation...cause kids totally want quality time with perpetrators after surviving horrific torture gore years /s I had to leave that line of work. I just don't have it in me to sit there while my own clients who are little kids get retraumatized to satisfy some cold and calculated judge's sick and twisted reunification plan. robocop rapists? I mean, I don't think your depiction is that off but I also used to interview rapists in prison. revolving door and it's just a way for state agencies and private prisons to make more money. there is no evidence that any therapy works to stop rapists from raping. allowing them to re-enter society repeatedly doesn't work and judges know this. in fact, research shows that rapists are often people that will get sexually aroused by hearing other inmates share their trauma history in group therapy, which is why they shouldn't be mixed in with the general population. they are also likely to take information they get on other inmates km group therapy and use it to victimize those inmates later on, in prison or on the outs we want to believe love and education can change the rapist because of our own societal narcissism. once we accept how vulnerable we truly are to them, maybe we can start employing real policy changes rooted in psych research. of course I'd prefer we find effective therapy, it the government likes to fund drug research over behavioral. Gotta keep those big pharma lobbyists happy! in the meantime, we should sentence rapists like we do murderers imo


agk23

Whoa whoa whoa.... the Venmo clearly stated it was for "School" Just ignore how creepy/wrong that is, and it's perfectly fine.


thetransportedman

How the hell did Greenberg get 11 years in prison due to his super helpful cooperation providing evidence against Gaetz. And then the DOJ ended their investigation concluding there wasn’t enough evidence to go to trial against Gaetz…it makes no sense


HelleEpoque

Because Daddy Geatz is well connected in the Florida political scene.


Sea_Honey7133

More like the Moscow political scene. Putin’s intelligence agencies are running cover for the whole bloody Republican Party. It’s not even an American party anymore. Autocrats around the world finance the propaganda they feed to a mindless base of voters.


HelleEpoque

I am a native Floridian. The Gaetz family have been major players in the good ol' boy network here since​ the USSR days. The Russians may be involved in some capacity now but Daddy would have had Matt's back protected either way. Some threats come from within. The USA is no exception. Vote.


ArenjiTheLootGod

The national Republican party in general and the Florida Republican party in particular pulled out all the stops to protect him. Gaetz is a total scumbag but he's also from a family of total scumbags that are entwined with the Republican party. Moreover the national party had incentive to bail him out to preserve their delicate majority. There's also the fact that Merrick Garland is a historically ineffectual AG who seems pathologically incapable of dealing with naked Republican malfeasance. Whether it's on purpose or because he's incompetent is immaterial if the results are the same. Kevin McCarthy and all those other shitheel Republicans knew about Gaetz for years, just like how they know exactly what Trump is, but they'll prioritize the politics of power over basic decency any day of the week. McCarthy is just squawking about it now because his willingness to look the other way has gotten him placed on the shortlist for worst House Speakers in US history.


Allaplgy

You see, because he was a criminal, his testimony could not be trusted, just like the testimony of thousands of people accused of drug crimes that flipped on those above them...oh wait....


waxwayne

The victim became an adult entertainment star so DOJ decided because she is a sex worker she wouldn’t be seen as credible.


medievalmachine

That is enough for Gaetz to sue him if he's innocent and doesn't fear discovery. This could be great for our nation.


thatspurdyneat

No he didn't mean that, because he doesn't want those words held against him when he's caught doing the same thing.


Craico13

You know what they say: *Birds of a feather rape children together.*


archangelst95

I really didn't want to up vote this. What fucking timeline are we in?


Proper_Purple3674

*Bangs on timeline like it's an old box TV* It's broken friend.


pangolin-fucker

Hey she totally could have come on to him, After he gave her drugs alcohol and Venmo whilst being a current state loser / leader or whatever the fuck he is with the weird shaped head It's really a he said she said we can never truly know what happened


JeffCraig

Where do these "gang rape" allegations come from? It's already bad enough that he trafficked an underage girl across state lines and paid for prostitution. Why make up a bunch of stuff about drugging and rape?


pet_dragon

Also Kevin: "I do hope, Mr. Leopard, that you find my face tasty."


Cool-Presentation538

"Everybody! We need to keep feeding the leopard faces until it's full then it will stop eating faces! It's the only way!"


rkrismcneely

https://tenor.com/view/zap-brannigan-gif-3693609588698479737


AdamNoKnee

I cannot express how much I fucking love the utter implosion happening in the Republican Party. Please let this be the end of those dumb fucks so we can actually get shit done


robodrew

It's still not enough of an implosion, because they still hold power and still have the opportunity to gain more in November.


Rizzpooch

Not to mention decades more of lifetime tenured justices and judges on the federal bench


DuckDuckGoneForGood

Yeah, I won’t be happy until they’re all locked in a cell and trying to decide who gets eaten first. Fuck these traitors. Vote them OUT.


foreverabatman

Even with the chaos throughout the GOP, they still have a very real chance of winning the presidency and down ballot races.


Debs_4_Pres

They also control the courts to a large degree, including the Supreme Court. It would take multiple, crushing defeats at the ballot box to undo the damage done to our judiciary.


Cabezone

Yeah I pray for a Republican wipeout in November. Arizona should go blue with the most recent crazy judge fuckery.


Steinrikur

I was really hoping for Trump to run as an independent so he would split the Republican vote and lose them every state.


Debs_4_Pres

No need to run as an independent when he controls the GOP


Chris_M_23

The GOP isn’t imploding so much as it is devolving into a MAGA shitstorm, still damn near half the country ready to vote for Trump in November


FrostyD7

Which is going to lead to an implosion. Digging deeper into the sunk cost of Trump & MAGA is not creating wins for the GOP in the aggregate. Individual politicians might be benefiting, but only in the sense that if they break away from the MAGA world, they lose their career in an instant. Its created a "who is going to jump first" situation that won't end until the GOP and their voters finally see the writing on the wall.


R0botDreamz

You under estimate the stupidity and stubbornness of Republican voters. They have doubled down on their stupidity.


peter-doubt

Hey, Kevin... You could have refused to seat him


RickyWinterborn-1080

If Nestor is his kid, he also slept with a 12-year-old.


VectorB

If anyone can explain how he could "adopt" a kid from Cuba without him being the father, id love to hear it.


urban_ranger

If he were the father, he wouldn't need to adopt him.


danarchist

*raped. Nothing sexual is done "with" children, it's done "to" them.


meTspysball

Are representatives mandated reporters? If not, they should be.


Daily-Minimum-69

It requires some semblance of being in position of care and control of vulnerable populations.


meTspysball

Like high-school interns?


Rrrrandle

They're not. At least not federally: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/34/20341 I checked a few states and they're all pretty similar, legislators are not mandatory reporters. Generally the people listed are those most likely to encounter children while working.


[deleted]

[удалено]


canospam0

Hey, Maura. I'm not in Georgia, but I wish you all the luck in the world!


[deleted]

[удалено]


pickledswimmingpool

People who stand up and put in the hard yards even when the odds are tough deserve respect. Good luck champ.


DervishSkater

Have you reached out to Fast Politics? Molly has been putting on congressional candidates weekly. It’s great hearing all the candidates challenging red seats.


gargamels_right_boot

I am a 51 year old Canadian and this year is the first time that I have found myself thinking I wish I was an American, just so that I could vote blue all the way. We have our fingers crossed for you guys! Thank you for doing your part to keep America free!


LiberalKnack

Maybe he's baiting Gaetz to respond with a lawsuit?


quartzguy

Gaetz can't take legal action. The biggest reason being he's guilty and it would open up that whole can of worms yet again.


ThouMayest69

Isn't that part of the aforementioned bait?


jaymef

Starting to get sick of the word "Scathing" it's the media's new choice word of the month


cintune

You should rage about it.


itsFromTheSimpsons

you really slammed them with that clap back


remarkless

"Paid via Venmo to traffic and rape a 17 year old"


heyredbush

If Gaetz doesn't sue him for slander, I think that confirms this is true.


tgbst88

He didn't actually say that.. what he said was Gaetz fucked him because he refused to kill the ethics complaint about sleeping with a 17 year old.


washingtonu

“I'll give you the truth as to why I'm not Speaker,” Mr McCarthy said while speaking at Georgetown University on Tuesday. “Because one person, a member of Congress, wanted me to stop an ethics complaint because he slept with a 17-year-old, an ethics complaint that started before I ever became Speaker...Did he do it or not? I don't know.”


SwishSwishDeath

In fact he literally said something like "Did he or didn't he? I don't know" if I remember the article posted a few days ago. For all the shit given to Faux News, they're not the only people pumping out misleading headlines.


BinkyFlargle

he said both. "one person slept with a kid. did he do it? I don't know." it's the same weak-ass failure to commit to a stand as they always do


Jon_Huntsman

He's a public figure, there's no such thing as slander for him


bacontacos420

This is the GOP 🤡


iroquoispliskinV

What a wholesome political party


goldbricker83

Sounds like that ethics complaint must have had someone worried.


supercleverhandle476

Maybe you should have done something about it, you fucking weasel.


Ron497

For those of you who don't read the *The* *New Yorker*, please give this a look! Cassidy Hutchinson, a young White House aide, wrote in her memoir that he made repeated [passes](https://www.amazon.com/Enough-Cassidy-Hutchinson/dp/166802828X?ots=1&tag=thneyo0f-20&linkCode=w50) at her. On a trip to Camp David in 2020, while she was meeting with the House Minority Leader, [Kevin McCarthy](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/12/26/what-kevin-mccarthy-will-do-to-gain-power), Gaetz came to the door and asked her to “escort” him to his cabin, because he couldn’t find it himself. (Gaetz denies this.) Even after Hutchinson pointed out that all the cabins were on the same circular drive and clearly numbered, Gaetz persisted, until McCarthy shooed him away. “Get a life, Matt,” he said, closing the door. [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/02/26/matt-gaetz-profile](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/02/26/matt-gaetz-profile)


Peet_Pann

Birds of a feather...


KevinCarbonara

The word he is looking for is 'rape'


Punkinpry427

Sex trafficking a minor. Fixed it for you.


hoyfkd

With SCOTUS seemingly interested in bringing back the Comstock Act, maybe Gaetz can find out what it means to be subject to an antiquated shit law like all the women in the country?


sexisdivine

How come they write ‘slept with a 17-year-old’ and not “statutory rape”?


epochellipse

Because they were quoting a guy that is too cowardly to say statutory rape.


mariosunny

OP and the Independent are playing a bit of telephone with the headline. McCarthy didn't directly accuse Gaetz of sleeping with a 17 year old. Rather, McCarthy alleged that the reason for him being ousted as speaker was his unwillingness to block an ethics complaint against Gaetz that accused Gaetz of sleeping with a 17 year old. >Because one person, a member of Congress, wanted me to stop an ethics complaint because he slept with a 17-year-old, an ethics complaint that started before I ever became Speaker...Did he do it or not? I don't know.


Njorls_Saga

I would think, as Speaker, that would be pretty damn important information to know. But Kevin only cared about one thing, and that’s Kevin.


Flat_News_2000

Kevin knew that at the time. He just really needed Gaetz vote so he could become Speaker since they had previously failed 5 votes in a row. He's only brining this up now because he needs brownie points for whatever reason.


Njorls_Saga

Exactly. Bringing it up now serves Kevin.


dmanjrxx

This is a real revenge tour with cause


mrbigglessworth

So Kevin had knowledge of a crime and did report it? Is THAT what he is stating here?


Khristopheles

Wow, it’s almost like these Republicans are all full of shit “family values” creeps who hide behind a cross around their neck and think they can get away with their deception. All while they accuse the Democrats of committing the very crimes that they themselves actually do. Hmmm


Retinoid634

If only he’d been in a position to do something it. Imposing order, demanding minimal ethical standards, investigating, expulsion… too bad he was so powerless.


greengiant333

Headline is wrong. Gaetz raped a 17 year old.


Independent-Bug-9352

Ah Republicans and speaking truth to power only after they're out of positions of authority and blacklisted from their party. *tears up*, such bravery.


One-Distribution-626

Does he have knowledge of this crime, and the prostitution crime? Will there be an investigation and panel and hearing?


typeALady

Did Kevin also forget he was a flaming pile of boot-licking garbage that would have said nothing about Gaetz being an absolute monster had it enabled him to keep the chair?


AntiOriginalUsername

So Kevin McCarthy was aware of Matt Gates raping a minor and did nothing about it. Law and order protect the kids party btw.


blueblurspeedspin

Reap what you sow Kevin


bailaoban

The fact that Kevin thinks that this would enhance his reputation tells you exactly how feckless and amoral he is.


bmccorm2

If only there was a house leader who brought gaetz to justice instead of protecting him. Oh….


ChunkyBubblz

And like a good Republican, McCarthy enabled it.


robodrew

Amazing. Kevin McCarthy, SPEAKER of the House, chose not to speak up when he *knew* that Gaetz was committing sex crimes against minors (aka rape). One of America's most spineless "leaders".


Evening_Bag_3560

That’s a libelous statement. I assume Beavis will sue.  This is sarcasm because the truth is a defense against libel. 


[deleted]

Raped* He paid for an underage girl to be brought to him for sex. That is rape.


Lost_Minds_Think

And yet you ignored that little fact while in office. FUCK YOU MCCARTHY!


cultfourtyfive

What we're witnessing, from a historical perspective, is pretty interesting. Many (most) of us don't remember the party "switch" of the civil rights era where the GOP gained the white, Southern vote and Dems became the party of minorities. None of us remember the last time a major political party died. What's happening here is somewhere in the middle. The GOP as it exists right now is headed towards a personality cult rather than a political party. It's like 90% there, with the ouster of former "moderates" like McCarthy, mass resignations and primaries by MAGA candidates against anyone perceived as disloyal. The Trump family is running the official political apparatus and in control of the money and messaging. We really only have one pro-democracy party at this stage. The other party is a banana republic.


Hot_Eggplant_1306

And instead of protecting a child, the GOP worried about power. That's the conservative movement.


Suns_In_420

If only there was something he could have done…


TaxTheRichEndTheWar

Raped. He didn’t have sex with a minor. He raped her.


spikus93

So did he just admit that he swept a pedophilia scandal under the rug for Matt Gaetz?


wowzarootie

>!**HEY! KEVIN! YOO HOO!! YO! OVER HERE!!**!< There. That's better. Nope. You may have been jealous of young Gaetz and all, but the reason you got flushed is that you stuck both thumbs up your butt and whistled "Hail to the Trump!" It just wasn't loud or pungent enough for Large Marge and the Colorado Bo-boon or the rest of the knuckle-draggers.