Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz is facing criticism after he tried to give himself and fellow Representatives Lauren Boebert (Colorado) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia) a patriotic nickname.
Gaetz had referred to the trio as "The Pro-America Squad" in what appeared to be an effort to offer a counter to the group of progressive House lawmakers known as "The Squad."
The Pro-America Squad https://t.co/7TRAGWtsNq— Matt Gaetz (@Matt Gaetz) 1634854852.0
All three lawmakers have voted against certifying the election win of President Joe Biden and have openly backed individuals who stormed the United States Capitol during the January 6 insurrection.
In addition to downplaying the attack, they have regularly peddled former President Donald Trump's "Big Lie" that the 2020 general election was stolen despite all evidence to the contrary.
The jokes practically wrote themselves.
Gaetz's effort backfired spectacularly when his critics offered their own nicknames for the group.
The Sedition Squad! https://t.co/y1RKFRwCsQ— java (@java) 1634915808.0
@mattgaetz More like the Flat Earth Society.— Chris D. Jackson (@Chris D. Jackson) 1634855881.0
@mattgaetz Looks like a police line-up for insurrection suspects.— Roastmaster General (@Roastmaster General) 1634856664.0
@mattgaetz @All435Reps Reality GQP show— Justin Norvell (@Justin Norvell) 1634854910.0
Or conspiracy bat shit grift squad https://t.co/El4OVEZtjo— John (@John) 1634863128.0
The Seditious Squad The Nazi Squad The Sex Offenders Squad https://t.co/0IU5udZe0m— Kim DeMoss 💉get Vaxxed help the 🌍 (@Kim DeMoss 💉get Vaxxed help the 🌍) 1634864637.0
Worst threesome ever https://t.co/ah7BiEpbRl— Adam (@Adam) 1634875835.0
More like The Three Stooges. https://t.co/jwr20osmdN— Cary Doyle (@Cary Doyle) 1634909520.0
Three pennies waitin' for change. Diet food for zombies. The Traitor Trio. A tragedy in three parts. A dullard'… https://t.co/FsVocCnAH9— Rex Huppke (@Rex Huppke) 1634856911.0
The Pro #GOPSeditiousTraitors Squad @GOP really? How did the California recall work out for ya'll. If this is wh… https://t.co/bJUEgx75LV— Maebel (@Maebel) 1634914927.0
Each member of the self-proclaimed "Pro-America" squad has generated significant negative press aside from backing insurrectionists.
Federal authorities are investigating Gaetz on child sex trafficking charges after it emerged the DOJ launched a probe into whether he paid a 17-year-old girl and took her across state lines for sexual purposes.
Gaetz has denied allegations he violated sex trafficking laws and engaged in other sexual misconduct while in office by citing the age of consent.
Boebert, meanwhile, drew the ire of the feds for not disclosing her husband's income from an energy firm in her campaign finance disclosures.
She was also cited by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for her apparent personal use of thousands of dollars in campaign funds.
Greene has made numerous headlines for downplaying the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic.
She remains undeterred by news that the highly contagious Delta variant has contributed to an uptick in Covid-19 hospitalizations across the United States.
Twitter has suspended Greene's account multiple times for violating the platform's rules regarding Covid-19 misinformation.