>>> WE’VE HEARD A LOT OF
STORIES, BUT THERE’S NOTHING
WE’VE SEEN FROM THE DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE IF SOMETHING IS GOING
ON.
OBVIOUSLY WE’LL FIND OUT ABOUT
IT.
RIGHT NOW IT’S HARD TO SPECULATE
ON RUMORS, BUT IF SOMETHING
REALLY FORMAL HAPPENED FROM
JUSTICE WE WOULD, OF COURSE,
REACT AND TAKE ACTION.
>> STEVE SCALISE FROM TODAY WHO
COULD PROBABLY NAME A HUNDRED
PLACES HE’D RATHER BE AT THAT
MOMENT, BUT IF ANYBODY FINDS A
POLITICAL PARTY THAT DOES
LOCKSTEP BETTER THAN THE
REPUBLICANS, ESPECIALLY IN THE
HOUSE, LET US KNOW.
THAT IS TO DATE ABOUT THE MOST
SPECIFIC RESPONSE WE’VE HEARD
FROM THE GOP TO THE MATT GAETZ
SEX TRAFFICKING INVESTIGATION.
REPUBLICANS HAVE BY AND LARGE
AVOIDED ANSWERING ANY DIRECT
QUESTIONS.
"POLITICO" TODAY SUMS UP THEIR
SILENCE THIS WAY OR TRIES TO,
QUOTE, THEIR RESPONSE EMPHASIZED
HOW FEW REPUBLICANS ARE RACING
TO DEFEND GAETZ, NOR ARE THEY --
APART FROM REPRESENTATIVE ADAM
KINZINGER CALLING FOR HIM TO
RESIGN.
STILL WITH US ARE EUGENE
ROBINSON AND MATT LEWIS.
MATT, WHY -- WHO DO WE SEE ABOUT
WHAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS
BECOME?
I’M GOING TO REMIND YOU OF A
QUOTE OF YOUR OWN WRITING.
GAETZ FOUND TRUMP’S DEPRAVED
ANYTHING GOES STYLE TO BE
LIBERATING, AND SOME REPUBLICANS
APPARENTLY FIND THEIR HONESTY
REFRESHING, BUT DON’T BE
SURPRISED IF THE END RESULT IS A
GAGGLE OF EGOMANIACAL
REPUBLICANS ON THE HOUSE FLOOR.
IF GAETZ SURVIVORS, THE LESSON
WILL BE THAT IT WILL BE SORT OF
YOUR GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD.
DID TRUMP PERSONALLY PER SE MAKE
THIS WORSE, MAKE IT THE POINT OF
REALM IN THE GOP?
>> YOU’RE RIGHT, THERE’S ALWAYS
BEEN SCANDALS AND BAD BEHAVIOR.
I THINK THE DIFFERENCE IS
POLITICIANS USED TO FEEL
COMPELLED TO PRETEND TO BE
DECENT OR ETHICAL.
AND I THINK DONALD TRUMP GOT RID
OF THAT.
AND IF YOU LOOK, THERE WAS A
"VANITY FAIR" ARTICLE THAT MATT
GAETZ DID OR INTERVIEW HE GAVE
TO "VANITY FAIR" IN DECEMBER
WHERE STANDARD BEARERS WERE A
STICK IN THE MUD BUT I HASHE HAS
QUOTE, AN ACTIVE SOCIAL LIFE,
AND TRUMP BEING PRESIDENT AS
WELL AS A CONGRESSMAN WITH AN
ACTIVE SOCIAL LIFE JUST MAKES IT
EASIER.
I THINK THAT’S PART OF THE
STORY.
IT’S A MATTER OF SORT OF THE FLAGRANCE OF IT, THE FLAUNTING
FLAGRANCE OF IT, THE FLAUNTING
OF IT, THE REFLVELING IN IT.
IN THE PAST WE’VE HAD SOME
PRETTY WEIRD SCANDALS.
YOU’VE GOT GAETZ, YOU’VE GOT
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE.
IT DOES SEEM LIKE A COUPLE
THINGS HAVE HAPPENED.
ONE, PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE ABLE
TO FLY THEIR FREAK FLAG FREELY
LIKED HAVING TRUMP AS THE
STANDARD BEARER, AS GAETZ TOLD
"VANITY FAIR."
I ALSO THINK TRUMP SERVED AS A
LITTLE BIT OF A MAGNET TO
ATTRACT A CERTAIN TYPE OF PERSON
INTO WHAT USED TO BE A -- AT
LEAST IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
YOU USED TO HAVE TO PRETEND TO
BE A STICK IN THE MUD.
THAT’S NO LONGER THE CASE.
>> EUGENE, I KEEP THINKING OF
WHAT AL FRANKEN IS MAKING OF ALL
OF THIS.
WHY IN YOUR VIEW ARE SO MANY
REPUBLICANS SILENT ON MATT
GAETZ?
>>.
>> WELL, THEY’RE NOT GOING TO
LINK ARMS WITH HIM NOW BECAUSE
HE COULD POTENTIALLY BE IN
SERIOUS LEGAL JEOPARDY, AND THE
CHARGES ARE UNSAVORY EVEN FOR
THE POST-TRUMP REPUBLICAN PARTY,
SO YOU’RE NOT HEARING A CHORUS
COMING OUT IN SUPPORT OF MATT
GAETZ, NOT EVEN PRESIDENT TRUMP
WHO ISSUED A TEPID MESSAGE OF
KIND OF SUPPORT FOR GAETZ BUT
NOT REALLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, HE’S PRETTY MUCH
LEFT OUT THERE AND EVERYBODY IS
GOING TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT
HAPPENS.
I DO AGREE WITH MATT THAT, YOU
KNOW, DONALD TRUMP SET THE BAR
PRETTY MUCH AT FLOOR LEVEL IN
TERMS OF BEHAVIOR.
AND MORALS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND THAT’S WHERE WE ARE TODAY,