CPAC Crowd Cheers Wildly as Matt Gaetz Demands Congress ‘Defund’ Federal Law Enforcement

Hard right GOP Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) received raucous applause at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday as he called for the end of various federal law enforcement agencies and the CDC, claiming they have been “weaponized” against conservatives.

Gaetz began by discussing the consequences of the GOP retaking the House in the November midterm elections and said voters empowered “legislators to analyze the weaponization of this government against our people.”

“Seems like every time I turn around, they’re engaged in surveillance or list building or monitoring,” Gaetz insisted, parroting a regular talking point on the right.

“And I don’t care if it takes every second of our time and every ounce of our energy. We either get this government back on our side or we defund and get rid of abolish the FBI, CDC, ATF, DOJ, every last one of ’em if they do not come to heel. And I don’t think it’s too much to ask,” Gaetz declared as the crowd loudly cheered.

Gaetz serves on the House Judiciary Committee’s “weaponization” subcommittee, which critics have lampooned as a manifestation of government weaponization itself as various GOP House members have vowed retribution against political opponents.

“The odd name of the weaponization subcommittee constitutes a case of pure psychological projection,” declared Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) a few weeks ago.

Gaetz also used his CPAC appearance to comment on the Department of Justice declining to press charges after it ended a sex trafficking investigation into him.

“I think vindication looks good on me!” Gaetz boasted, adding, “But there is no time to celebrate.”

Watch the full clip above via C-SPAN