On Sunday, CNN published a report, relying on anonymous sources, alleging that President Trump denied Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) a meeting at Mar-a-Lago. According to the report, Gaetz “tried to schedule a visit with Trump after it was first revealed that he was being investigated, but the request was rejected by aides close to the former President, who have urged Trump not to stick his neck out to defend Gaetz.”
Gaetz spokesman Harlan Hill told CNN that no such meeting was requested by the congressman. “Rep. Gaetz was welcomed to Trump Doral this week and has not sought to meet with President Trump himself,” Hill said.
Jason Miller, an aide to President Trump, denied the report Sunday evening on Twitter.
This @CNN story is complete fake news.
No such scheduling or meeting request was ever made, and therefore, it could never have been declined.
Take note that this story has zero on-the-record sources. It’s literally made-up.
We are demanding a full retraction. #FakeNews https://t.co/lhlChvilhF
— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) April 12, 2021
Trump issued his own statement Monday evening: “Fake News CNN, relying on all anonymous sources, meaning they probably made the whole thing up, wrote a very dishonest story claiming Congressman Matt Gaetz asked for a meeting with me at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, and was denied. This is completely false.”
Not one to miss an opportunity to shame CNN, Trump called on the network to “investigate and write about lightweight Democrat Congressman Eric Swalwell, who had a torrid and physical relationship with the Chinese spy Fang-Fang, but is somehow on the once-prestigious House Intelligence Committee.”
“Swalwell, who ran for President and dropped out with a record-setting 0% in the polls, has been compromised and is a national security threat to the United States,” Trump said. “He should be removed from the Committee immediately!”
Join the conversation as a VIP Member