Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz was heavily criticized after he referred to pro-choice activists as "over-educated, under-loved millennials" and suggested they're only angry about a rightward shift in reproductive rights because they can't get matches on dating apps.
Gaetz's remarks came after a leaked draft opinion indicated the Supreme Court's ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization will move to strike down Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark decision that protects a person's right to choose reproductive healthcare without excessive government restriction.
Writing on Twitter, Gaetz said women protesting the fall of Roe will likely "sadly return from protests to a lonely microwave dinner with their cats" and "no matches" on Bumble, a popular online dating application.
Gaetz's commentary reflects his own controversial past involving women, particularly an ongoing federal investigation regarding alleged sex crimes involving a minor.
Federal authorities are investigating Gaetz on child sex trafficking charges after it emerged the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a probe into whether he paid a 17-year-old girl and took her across state lines for sexual purposes.
Gaetz denied allegations he violated sex trafficking laws and engaged in other sexual misconduct while in office by citing the age of consent. His supporters in Congress, particularly Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, have pushed back against the investigation even while they brand other Republican politicians as "pro-pedophile."
In May 2021, Gaetz's associate Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector in Seminole County, Florida, formally pleaded guilty to six federal charges, including sex trafficking of a minor.
He also pleaded guilty to producing a false identification document, identity theft, wire fraud, stalking and conspiracy.
Gaetz's post immediately attracted negative attention and many of his critics took him to task for his openly misogynistic commentary.
News of the leaked draft opinion has been largely applauded by conservatives.
The draft opinion would have sweeping ramifications, resulting in abortion bans in roughly half the country, and comes as Republican-led legislatures nationwide have moved swiftly in recent weeks to curb the right to an abortion and have signaled efforts to further limit access to contraception.
The Supreme Court has confirmed the draft opinion is "authentic" but says "it does not represent a decision by the court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case."
Chief Justice John Roberts said the leak signals a "betrayal of the confidences of the Court" but insisted while it was "intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed."
