Gaetz Beclowns Himself At Ukraine Aid Hearing When Witness Points Out His Source Is Chinese Propaganda

Yahoo News reports:

Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz cited an unusual source during a congressional hearing about US military aid to Ukraine. Gaetz has long been an outspoken critic of continued US security assistance to Ukraine as it fends off Russia’s military invasion.

During Tuesday’s House Armed Services Committee hearing, he brought up a report by China’s Global Times that he said talks about the US training Ukrainian soldiers.

Gaetz didn’t appear to know, however, that the Global Times is a Chinese Communist Party-controlled outlet with an ultra-nationalist agenda until the witness he was questioning pointed it out.

Boing Boing reports:



Gaetz is seen asking Colin Kahl, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, if Ukraine’s Azov Battalion is receiving U.S. weapons. Dr. Kahl says, “Not that I’m aware of, but if you have information—”

Gaetz cuts him off and tells the clerk to enter the “Global Times investigative report that indicates that talks about training” into the record. Dr. Kahl’s ears perk up at the mention of the paper. “I’m sorry, is this the Global Times from China?” he asks.

Gaetz looks flustered and says, “No, this is well… yeah, it might be. Yeah.” Kahl says, “As a general matter, I don’t take Beijing’s propaganda—” Gaetz, knowing he has been outsmarted, can only say, “Fair enough. I would agree with that assessment.”