Gaetz Pushes Outlandish Scheme to Use Powers of Congress to ‘Immunize’ Trump From Prosecution
Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) joined Charlie Kirk on Tuesday and floated a bizarre scheme to “immunize” former President Donald Trump from criminal prosecution.
Gaetz, a hardline pro-Trump Republican, began by saying, “You can actually bring President Trump in to give testimony to the Congress and in doing so, immunize him.”
“Now, there’s different forms of immunity that take place at the committee level, subcommittee level, in some instances for full immunity, you have to have more of a supermajority vote,” The Florida Republican continued, adding:
But if you had a supermajority vote of a committee, like Speaker McCarthy could set up a select committee tomorrow that can bring Trump in, and immunize him. And then we could proceed with the very legitimate investigative work that we’re doing of the Bidens and the corrupt DOJ. Unfortunately, none of those things are happening. Instead, Congress is not in Washington, not assembled. And I think the timing is on purpose. No timing in DC is ever just a mere coincidence. And so right as Congress is leaving town, write us were walking away from our equities. You see this acceleration of activity against Trump.
“Let’s be specific here though. So immunize him from what crimes even if he’s under current indictment? Is that including even the obstruction claims? And give us some examples of how this has been used recently?” Kirk pressed, asking for some concrete details.
“Well, it hasn’t been used recently,” Gaetz conceded of the outlandish plan, adding:
But obviously we’re aware of the ability for any person to plead the Fifth. You can dissolve someone’s ability to plead the Fifth if you immunize them. And so Congress has this ability that’s been recognized. It’s even laid out in 18 U.S.C. 6002 and 6005. If folks want to look it up. But there you’ve got the ability to say, well, we’re here by compelling your testimony.
We’re giving you immunity for anything you say to us and anything that that would lead to. And so, for example, if President Trump came in and said, I’m here to give you testimony about the witch hunt, the abuse of criminal process, that Congress has a legitimate oversight equities to resolve. And if he were to say things to us, we could immunize him for that conduct that he were to discuss.
Watch the full clip above.
Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com
