Gaetz echoes Trump's Proud Boys call to 'stand back and stand by' amid courthouse appearance
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) echoed former President Trump’s infamous 2020 call for the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” in a statement from the Manhattan courthouse Thursday.
“Standing back and standing by, Mr. President,” Gaetz wrote in a post on the social platform X, along with a photo of himself donning a red tie and suit in the background, with an out-of-focus Trump in the foreground.
Trump was asked during a presidential debate with President Biden in 2020 whether he would denounce violence from white supremacy groups. He dodged the question, but after Biden mentioned the far-right group, Trump said, “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by.”
Trump was immediately eviscerated by Democrats for making those comments, while the Proud Boys group celebrated Trump’s remark — sharing a new logo that included the phrase “stand back and stand by.”
The Hill has reached out to Gaetz’s office for comment on his post.
Gaetz was among the cast of Republican lawmakers who attended the Manhattan criminal trial this week in a show of support for the former president.
Gaetz on Thursday joined GOP Reps. Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Mike Waltz (Fla.) and Eli Crane (Ariz.) in the courtroom, while Reps. Andy Ogles (Tenn.) Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.), Ralph Norman (S.C.) and House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good (Va.) were also seen at the Manhattan courthouse.
Boebert and Gaetz were spotted sitting in the first row of the gallery, next to Eric Trump and the former president’s Secret Service agents. Good was also seen seated in the first row, on the other side of Trump’s security detail.
Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records over an alleged repayment scheme to Michael Cohen, Trump’s then-fixer, who had paid porn actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 ahead of the 2016 election to stay quiet about an alleged affair with Trump. The former president denies the affair, says there was no wrongdoing with the payments and has pleaded not guilty.
Date: |
Filter
-
Central Park Five exoneree calls Trump verdict 'karma'
“Central Park Five” exoneree Raymond Santana called former President Trump’s verdict in his hush-money case “karma.” “For me, it was about karma,” Santana said during his Saturday appearance on CNN with anchor Victor Blackwell, highlighted by ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
Minnesota Democrat Dean Phillips calls on New York governor to pardon Trump
US representative and failed contender for president says Kathy Hochul should grant pardon ‘for the good of the country’. The outgoing Democratic US representative who failed in his presidential primary challenge against Joe Biden called on the ...The Guardian - World - New York -
Nvidia market cap jumps by $350bn amid ‘gamma squeeze’
Options trading frenzy fuels wild swings in share priceFinancial Times - Business -
UFC 302: Michal Oleksiejczuk refuses to tap out on arm bar, even after Kevin Holland appears to break his arm
Michal Oleksiejczuk doesn't quit easily. Possibly to his detriment.Yahoo Sports - Sports - UFC -
Disillusioned South Africans Turn Backs on Party That Ended Apartheid
With nearly all votes counted, Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress slumped to just 40%, setting the stage for difficult coalition talks.The Wall Street Journal - World -
Officials push to turn office buildings into housing amid home shortage, remote-work boom
Story at a glance From city halls to the White House, officials across the U.S. are pushing to turn commercial real estate into housing in an effort to solve two national problems: the rising need for homes and the increasing amount of vacant ...The Hill - Politics -
Transfer Talk: Man City look to extend Haaland deal amid exodus fears
Man City are reportedly concerned that Erling Haaland and Pep Guardiola could leave the club at the same time. Transfer Talk has the latest.ESPN - Sports -
Supreme Court chief justice declines meeting with Dems amid Alito ethics flap
Politico - Politics -
Thai election winner Pita says party ban would ‘turbocharge’ calls for change
Pita Limjaroenrat faces exclusion from public office over pledge to reform repressive lèse majesté lawFinancial Times - World -
DOJ pushes back against release of Biden-Hur audio, citing 'deepfake' concerns
The Department of Justice (DOJ) pushed back against the release of audio recordings of President Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur, citing concerns that "deep fakes" could emerge. DOJ argued, in a Friday night filing, that if the ...The Hill - Politics
More from The Hill
-
Israeli ministers threaten to resign over cease-fire proposal
Two Israeli far-right ministers have threatened to resign from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government over a cease-fire proposal outlined by President Biden on Friday. Both National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance ...The Hill - Politics - Israel -
Jill Biden says Trump 'dangerous' to LGBTQ+ community at Pittsburgh Pride festival
First Lady Jill Biden said that former President Trump is “dangerous” to the LGBTQ+ community, slamming her husband’s main general election rival at Pittsburgh’s annual Pride festival on Saturday. Biden, apart from going after Trump, talked about ...The Hill - Politics - Joe Biden -
It's Pride Month: Here's what to know
LGBTQ+ Pride Month, often shortened to Pride Month, officially started on Saturday, but how much do you know about the annual month-long celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride? To start, Pride Month began 54 years ago in June ...The Hill - Politics -
Kathy Griffin says controversial fake Trump photo cost her one-third of her fans
Kathy Griffin said the controversial photoshoot she did that showed her holding a fake bloody head that resembled former President Trump cost her “about a third” of her fans. The Emmy-Award-winning comedian detailed the repercussions she dealt ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
Central Park Five exoneree calls Trump verdict 'karma'
“Central Park Five” exoneree Raymond Santana called former President Trump’s verdict in his hush-money case “karma.” “For me, it was about karma,” Santana said during his Saturday appearance on CNN with anchor Victor Blackwell, highlighted by ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump