Matt Gaetz Accuses 2 GOP Reps Of Breaking Party's 'Core Covenant' With Voters

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Thursday called out GOP Reps. Mike Turner (Ohio) and Don Bacon (Neb.) for voting with Democrats to reject a measure to defund diversity, equity and inclusion training in the military. (Watch the video below.)

Fox News host Laura Ingraham teed it up for Gaetz by complaining that the government was “fat and way too happy with woke.” She asked why Republicans had a majority in the House if they weren’t united to cut “ridiculous spending.”

“This was the core covenant that we have with our voters to get the majority,” Gaetz replied. “And it seems so far too many are willing to violate it.”

The far-right representative and Ingraham harped on conservative talking points about DEI, claiming it hurts recruitment and military readiness.

“We went from ‘be all you can be’ ... to this embrace of radical gender ideology and radical race ideology,” Gaetz said. “We should not pass another authorizing act for this military that does not uproot all of the wokeness.”

Gaetz’s proposal to eliminate federal funding for DEI training was defeated by one vote in the House Armed Services Committee count, thanks to Turner and Bacon. But the Florida lawmaker’s measures to eliminate the Pentagon’s chief diversity officer and military drag shows passed.

Fast-forward to 20:12 for Gaetz’s appearance.