Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz announced at a news conference on Tuesday that he has introduced a resolution asserting that former President Donald Trump did not participate in the insurrection on January 6, 2021.
The nonbinding resolution might aid in the legal effort to remove Trump from some states’ primary ballots under the 14th Amendment, which, in part, prohibits people involved in insurrection from holding public office.
Gaetz, a staunch Trump admirer, claimed the former president was “thrilled” that 63 Republican members had signed on to the legislation.
“President Trump was encouraged by his many supporters to back our legislative effort,” Gaetz said during a question-and-answer session at the United States Capitol. “I believe the House of Representatives has a distinct voice here.
“I do not believe that the left’s efforts at ‘law-fare’ against some of these officials in some of these states have ended. I believe they will continue to create a unique style of fashion. I believe the House’s statement that this was not an insurrection could have legal and political implications.”
The resolution was announced on the same day that the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Trump’s claim of wide presidential immunity, which included the Jan. 6, 2021 incident at the United States Capitol.
Gaetz joined several of the resolution’s supporters at the press conference, including Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J.
Gaetz stated that the identity of the instigators of the violence at the Capitol that day is still unknown, but he claimed that Trump had no involvement.
“There were people who were violent at that riot, and they should not have been,” Gaetz went on to say. “That is not the same as stating that President Trump engaged in an insurrection. He was not there. He stated that he wants everyone to be calm.“
The former Republican president is facing four charges connected with the Capitol attack: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to hinder an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, and conspiracy to deny the right to vote.
Gaetz stated that the term “insurrectionist” has been used in a “tortured and undemocratic way” to provide legal authority to what occurred on January 6, but nothing Trump did reached that level.
“I think this would be incredibly helpful legally if we would adopt this provision,” Gaetz went on to say. “I have been a victim of federal offenses. I know what it’s like, and prosecutors routinely confer with the victim to learn about their expectations. If we are the reported victim and claim that this was not an insurrection, I believe it will be taken seriously.“