Disgraced ex-GOP rep goes rogue at CPAC over MAGA's 'slavish loyalty' to foreign nation

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) called out MAGA followers and President Donald Trump, ripping into the president's war in Iran and the people supporting it.

Gaetz spoke Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in Texas when he made the statements distancing his views from the Trump administration and the MAGA base, The Daily Beast reported. And although he didn't directly criticize Trump, Gaetz took issue with those backing the military strikes.

"I come from the wing of the Republican Party that is only loyal to one nation, and that is the United States of America," Gaetz said.

He called out conservatives and right-wing influencers he argued were not representing the Republican Party, saying "dissent and disagreement has to be allowed."

"And so while I may not agree with the likes of Mark Levin or Ben Shapiro or Mike Huckabee that we have some sort of near slavish loyalty to a country in a far away land, I would walk across hot coals arm in arm with those individuals to stop the Democrats turning America into a more transsexual version of Venezuela.”

He also spoke out against bringing ground troops into the war in Iran.

"A ground invasion of Iran will make our country poorer and less safe," Gaetz said.

Gaetz warned that the economic fallout, including the Strait of Hormuz, would dramatically hurt Americans and result in ongoing warfare.

"I’m not sure we’d end up killing more terrorists than we would create," he added.

Gaetz was first elected in 2016 and became known as a prominent member of the Republican Party. He was known for his conservative positions and media appearances, and has faced various controversies during his tenure in Congress, including sexual misconduct investigations and legal scrutiny.