Pro-Trump PAC Ran Facebook Ads Attacking Rep. Matt Gaetz for War Powers Vote

Alex Wong/Getty Images

A bit of a feud broke out on Tuesday between Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman. The question was whether Gaetz was ever on the outs with the Trump camp over his war powers vote, an observation he took pretty personally and denied.

But some sponsored posts on Facebook run by the small pro-Trump PAC “Drain the DC Swamp” suggest that his vote has indeed been a point of contention.

At issue is a war powers resolution, shortly after Iran attacked American troops in Iraq following the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, in which he voted with Democrats to limit presidential powers. The White House was reportedly “incensed” over the vote and an email from Gaetz to his colleagues urging their support.

At his rally on Monday night, President Trump gave Gaetz a shout-out, prompting Maggie Haberman to tweet, “The ouster of Matt Gaetz lasted as long as the impeachment trial – Trump just singled him out at NH rally.”

Gaetz responded to Haberman that he was “was never ‘ousted,'” and on their exchange went.

But in fact, the punishment of Gaetz for his vote against the president’s wishes was a real thing, whether characterized as “ouster” or not, when it comes to supporters and allies to Trump, not to mention named officials at the White House.

And, it seems, groups supporting the campaign.

The Daily Beast’s Lachlan Markay on Wednesday tweeted screenshots of paid Facebook sponsor ads run by Drain The DC Swamp PAC.

“Matt Gaetz voted with Pelosi and the Iranians against President Trump just days after our bases were attacked with Iranian rockets and the Iranian Parliament shouted ‘Death to America.’ Go to his page and tell him how you feel about that,” reads one ad, above an article from Business Insider about the vote.

In another, it’s a story about Fox Business Network’s top Trump fan Lou Dobbs bashing Gaetz over the vote. Amazingly, the promoted content is from the far-left Media Matters.

The ads were targeted to Florida voters, he adds.

Targeting Florida boomers, I should add pic.twitter.com/S06HaDQDmn

— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) February 12, 2020

The article about Gaetz from Josh Dawsey at the Washington Post was extensive, well-sourced, and included on the record comments. Trump’s biggest boosters on TV and online bashed Gaetz for going against the president. And now we see a PAC running ads bashing him for it, too.

Gaetz argued to Haberman that he wasn’t ousted from Trump’s “inner circle” over it, but the punishment for the man who brags about being called “the Trumpiest Congressman” in D.C. was open, overt, and lasted until he redeemed himself.

The lesson seems clear. Step out of line and you’ll be punished for it, no matter how “Trumpie” you are.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!