During an appearance on The Rachel Maddow Show, former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson criticized Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz after he claimed they dated.
Hutchinson—who made headlines around the country last year after testifying before the House Select Committee tasked with investigating the January 6 insurrection—struck down Gaetz's lie, which she also addressed in her new book, Enough, which she promoted on the program.
Hutchinson alleged in her book that Gaetz had flirted with her when she worked as an aide to former White House Chief of Staff and current accused felon Mark Meadows, recalling that he once tried to pick her up late at night during a 2020 Camp David retreat.
You can hear what Hutchinson said in the video below.
When asked to respond to the allegations, which Gaetz denied in a statement, Hutchinson said:
"I will give Matt credit [to] his part of the statement that we did have an amicable working relationship and we were good friends — at points."
"Matt Gaetz, in my opinion, is somebody that I personally do not hold in high regards in terms of trust, and I do not think that Matt Gaetz has the best track record for relationships."
Hutchinson went further, saying that Gaetz does not meet her "standards" when dating men:
"I will say for myself: I have never dated Matt Gaetz."
"I have much higher standards in men, and Matt, frankly, is a very unserious politician ... I don't really have much else to say to somebody that is more concerned about a soundbite than actually passing legislation."
Many mocked Gaetz after footage of Hutchinson's remarks went viral.
Gaetz had attempted to hurt Hutchinson's credibility, calling it "sad" to see her "dishonestly turn against so many people who cared about her for fame and book sales."
During last year's explosive testimony—much of it centered around former President Donald Trump's abject failure to respond to the violent insurrection—Hutchinson testified Gaetz aimed for a pardon much broader than those requested by his cohorts and he had pushed for one since early December 2020.
Gaetz has denied ever asking for a pardon and called Hutchinson "a known liar" duing an interview with MSNBC's Ari Melber earlier this year.
@GregAbbott_TX/X
