‘Let Me Finish!’ Matt Gaetz Throws Down with Ari Melber Over Report He Sought Pardon from Trump

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) appeared on Monday’s The Beat, where Ari Melber asked the congressman about reports he sought a pardon from former President Donald Trump.

Melber cited Gaetz’s attendance at a December 2020 meeting at the White House where Trump was consulting with advisers about ways the 2020 presidential election could potentially be overturned. Trump falsely claimed the election had been rigged against him and he began a pressure campaign against Vice President Mike Pence. The then-president believed Pence could refuse to certify the election results in Congress as the presiding officer.

Melber asked Gaetz what he advocated for during the meeting.

“Nothing,” he replied. “I was seeking to understand the process because this was unprecedented.”

“Did you hear anything in that meeting that you considered unconstitutional or illegal?” Melber asked.

“No,” Gaetz said.

“Then why after that meeting did you seek a pardon for yourself and others who attended that meeting?” the host pressed.

“That’s been misreported,” the congressman responded. “What I’ve suggested is that there were various groups of people that President Trump was considering pardoning for a variety of reasons, and I was very involved in a number of pardon negotiations.”

Melber teed up clips of witnesses before the Jan. 6 committee testifying to the contrary.

“They all testified under oath that you specifically requested a pardon,” he said, before playing snippets of testimony, including from former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. and former White House senior adviser Eric Herschmann.

Gaetz responded by accusing Hutchinson of being a liar:

GAETZ: Cassidy Hutchinson is a known liar. There’s testimony she’s given that directly results in perjury. So, I would certainly take exception with her testimony. I do not remember it the same way Eric Herschmann does. I did have conversations with Eric Herschmann about different groups of people that could potentially receive pardons, even including some of the people who may have committed a technical violation of federal law but that weren’t engaged in violence on Jan. 6.

MELBER: So this–

GAETZ: Hold on, now. Let me finish here.

MELBER: I’m gonna let you finish, but–

[CROSSTALK]

MELBER: Yes, you may finish.

GAETZ: I had a lot of conversations with [former White House Presidential Personnel Office Director John] McEntee about pardons for other folks and different groups of people. Whether or not some lawmakers would’ve fallen within those groups, I think, you know, could be debated and discussed. But when it comes to, you know, was I asking for something specifically for me and only me under those circumstances? The answer would be no.

MELBER: Did you advocate a pardon for other lawmakers to Mr. McEntee or others?

GAETZ: There were discussions about pardons for President Trump, his family members, his allies, and presumably members of Congress could have fallen in that group. But there was nothing in the [December 2021] meeting that would’ve resulted in any need for a pardon.

Separately, Gaetz reportedly sought a pardon in connection to a Department of Justice investigation into whether he had sexual relations with a minor. Prosecutors have since recommended against charging Gaetz.

Watch above via MSNBC.