Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) tried multiple times on Tuesday night to pull Tucker Carlson into the web of allegations reportedly made against him involving a possible relationship with an underage girl, but was rebuffed each time.
Gaetz appeared on Carlson's Fox News show shortly after The New York Times reported the Department of Justice had launched an investigation into whether Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and paid for her to travel with him out of state. Gaetz told Carlson this was "verifiably false" and claimed it was part of an elaborate extortion scheme targeting his wealthy family.
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Carlson replied that Gaetz was referring to "a mentally-ill viewer who accused me of a sex crime 20 years ago, it was not true and I'd never met the person." He tried to get the spotlight back on Gaetz, but the congressman wasn't done with Carlson just yet.
"I can say that you and I went to dinner about two years ago, your wife was there and I brought a friend of mine, you'll remember her, and she was actually threatened by the FBI and told if she wouldn't cop to the fact that somehow I was involved in some pay-for-play scheme that she could face trouble," Gaetz said. "So I do believe there are people at the Department of Justice who are trying to smear me." Carlson pushed back at this attempt to make him a witness, saying, "I don't remember the woman you're speaking of or the context at all, honestly."
When it was over, Carlson called the interview one of the "weirdest" ones he's "ever conducted," and said while he doesn't "quite understand" the case, "we'll bring you more when we find out." Catherine Garcia
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