Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) got the last laugh on Friday when CNN’s Abby Phillip attempted to call him to task for something he didn’t do. A mistake we’d expect from a novice reporter, a CNN anchor shouldn’t have missed the mark this much.
JUST IN: Matt Gaetz fact checks propaganda from CNN’s Abby Phillip live during interview..
Her face thought.. 🔥🔥
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) September 23, 2023
Phillip toes the line at CNN. In her free time, she takes jabs at Fox News. She also thinks the box office hit Sound of Freedom was made to cater to QAnon fans.
On The Sound of Freedom, CNN says child sex trafficking is real, but "these films are created out of moral panics… it specifically is looking at QAnon concepts of these child trafficking rings." Do you want more QAnon because this is how you get more QAnon. pic.twitter.com/IsIRWVp1X3
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) July 8, 2023
Phillip was ready to hammer down on Gaetz live on the air, but it appears she forgot to read the room — or do her research. The conversation went down like this:
Phillip: You did vote against the defense appropriations bill this week that…
Gaetz: No, I didn’t.
Phillip: The rule…
Gaetz: No, you’re wrong.
Phillip The rule to…
Gaetz: Abby, this is going to be a very embarrassing moment when the internet corrects you on this. I voted for the defense rule both times.
Phillip: Uh, oh, well, I…I stand corrected. Congressman, appreciate you joining us tonight, thank you so much.
The prompt ending spurred a slew of commentary calling her out for being out of her league and underwhelming as a reporter. Gaetz was on his game interrupting her at every attempt to finish her question. Many of us are left wishing he would have allowed it though.
Given that the defense bill was her lead, it’s probable that Phillip intended to structure the rest of her interview around what she thought Gaetz voted for. Instead, she abruptly ended the interview and likely spent the commercial break taking deep breaths and fact-checking her next segment.
Gaetz has made headlines over the last week as major media outlets have teased that he may be running for governor next year. It’s no secret that Gaetz largely backs Donald Trump and is not a fan of the current Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running for president in 2024. Gaetz has rebuked all claims that he is planning a gubernatorial run.
