Matt Gaetz gets shut down after interrupting impeachment hearing

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was reprimanded at Monday’s impeachment hearing for shouting and interrupting when it was not his turn to speak, a move that was part of the GOP’s efforts to delay and obstruct the impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump.

Gaetz was one of a handful of Republicans who repeatedly interrupted House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler to demand that the GOP get its own hearings to defend Trump from impeachment.

“Is this when we just hear staff ask questions of other staff and the members just get dealt out of this whole hearing and for the next four hours you’re going to try to overturn the results of an election with unelected people?” Gaetz said, attempting to shout down Nadler (D-NY) as he started to introduce the first witness at the hearing.

Nadler dressed Gaetz down after his interruption.

“The gentleman will not yell out, and the gentleman will not attempt to disrupt the proceedings,” Nadler said, ignoring Gaetz and proceeding with the hearing, in which Democrats laid out the evidence for why Trump deserves to face impeachment.

Gaetz has been a ringleader of GOP interruptions during the impeachment process.

He led Republicans in a group to storm a secure area of Capitol Hill where depositions were taking place. A number of the GOP lawmakers who were part of that stunt had cellphones on them — devices that are explicitly banned from that secure area for national security purposes.

Gaetz also had to be kicked out of past hearings, as he was not permitted to be at them.

Gaetz, however, was not the only Republican who interrupted Monday’s hearings.

First, a protester who is a contributor with InfoWars — the right-wing conspiracy website that supports Trump — was removed from the room after shouting protests.

Then, Rep. Andy Biggs  — the Arizona Republican who ran a failed effort to censure Rep. Adam Schiff for simply doing his job — interrupted multiple times to demand that Republicans get their own hearing.

Ultimately, the hearing proceeded, despite the GOP stunts.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.