Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz is standing by the insults he hurled at anti-abortion activists.
Gaetz insulted the physiques of anti-abortion activists during a speech at the Turning Point USA conference in Tampa over the weekend.
"Why is it that the women with the least likelihood of getting pregnant are the ones most worried about having abortions? Nobody wants to impregnate you if you look like a thumb,” Gaetz said during the Turning Point USA summit in Tampa.
"These people are odious on the inside and out. They're like 5'2", 350 pounds, and they're like, 'Give me my abortions or I'll get up and march and protest,' and I'm thinking, 'March? You look like you got ankles weaker than the legal reasoning behind Roe vs. Wade.' A few of them need to get up and march. They need to get up and march for like an hour a day, swing those arms, get the blood pumping, maybe mix in a salad."
Even after being roasted online for his comments, the congressman stood by his remarks.
Reporter: Is it safe to say that, based off your comments, you're suggesting that these women at these abortion rallies are ugly and overweight?
— Joel Valdez (@realJoelValdez) July 25, 2022
Gaetz: Yes.
Reporter: What do you say to people who think those comments are offensive?
Gaetz: Be offended.
BASED @MattGaetz 🔥 pic.twitter.com/6TbtFzGVHC
A reporter asked Gaetz to clarify that he thought abortion activists were ugly and overweight. Gaetz responded “yes" and told anyone who didn't like it to "be offended."
Some "offended" activists helped 19-year-old activist Olivia Julianna raise over $50,000 for abortion funds. After using Gaetz's comments as a rallying point, Julianna made Gaetz a thank-you card.
“Because of your hatred I’ve also helped facilitate $50,000 in donations to abortion funds. Your hateful comments towards me will quite literally help pay for abortion services. Lol. Get rekt,” the card said.
Gaetz was catching heat from all corners this week, with even some of his fellow Republicans taking shots at the congressman. Mike Pence’s former chief said that Gaetz will likely end up in prison from his ongoing sex trafficking investigation after Gaetz said Mike Pence would never be president.
"I don't know if Mike Pence will run for president in 2024, but I don't think Matt Gaetz will have an impact on that — in fact, I'd be surprised if he's still voting," Pence backer Marc Short told CNN. "It's more likely that he'll be in prison for child sex trafficking by 2024, and I'm actually surprised that Florida law enforcement still allows him to speak to teenage conferences like that."
