Constitutional principles. During this conversation, he talks about his new book firebranddispatches from the frontlines of the maga revolution book he is quoted as saying is your indication for fight. Energy and images and stories and this is not my chronological diary. This is how we prevail. And exactly how an exciting presence is leading the way. We know you invite you to our virtual oval office, me rep. Mat gaetz and the director john. Host welcome rep. Matt gaetz. What a terrific book and congratulations. Matt gaetz thank you so much and is particularly enjoyed to participate. It is a vibrant woman in our politics today. Whether one is on the political right for the political left what we see is a lot of energy in action and enthusiasm. Host i think i read in the book that you love sports in baseball. And when i was a kid and into baseball a lot. There was a book that came out. Maybe youve read it. And there was a picture for the yankees and his name was jim and i think the book was called ball four. If you dont want them i just want to review and excerpt. When i saw this, reminds mind to me of a bookie written. Insiders look at the professional Sports Community covering off the field side of the baseball fall under five. Jealousies, obscene jokes, drunken players, and including part of this publication called ball four, baseball and he try to sign a statement saying everything was fictional. When i read your book, this is so refreshing. As a member of congress who puts himself out there. And writes the truth in what he is actually saying. That is useful stuff that we are saying. Heres an encouraging view. I dont think we sing this very often especially with the younger members like yourself. Matt gaetz will thank you. I laid there the experiences that i had in congress. And frankly washington remains an equally corrupt place where people have to pay for assignments, for leadership opportunities. Two. Sense of upward mobility within the institution. And while i have great reverence for Public Service as a profession, my father with a Public Servant and my grandfather was a Public Servant. I do believe it is noble to choose to serve your neighbors in your community. And i fear noble profession is bearing a striking resemblance to the oldest profession of more and more politicians are exchanging money for favors. And it is why of the only republican in the congress now whos swearing off donations from all federal Political Action communities. I dont know how member of congress could take money and then tell her constituents that there are not strings attached. Of course there are. In far too any in congress and think and their calendar off to the lobbyist on k street and they had their bony cards to the leadership. There to sort of along for the ride. I believe that President Trump is so different in this approach to washington that he actually creates oxygen and space for nontraditional members like myself to choose a different way to serve. For me, is meant a lot of commentary in the media and in the Digital Space but maybe not so much of the normal handing and elbow rubbing the juicy from a different generation in washington. Host have you ever had any, like canada like Newt Gingrich was. Back in the day. Matt gaetz more than Newt Gingrich. But no, i mean, that newt did bring a certain vigor to the place. A certain effort to reform. Some of the practices there really lean into the play for the developments of washington. When you rot a tell all about congress, youre usually not still in congress. Thats whats a little bit different about my book freedom so there. These people are still my colleagues. But i think that to address the generational challenges that we face, putting on on the right of the left. Do you think the issues like immigration, how we deal with digital platforms. The environment and the Climate Change. These are generational challenges predictable require belinda entered the political alignment to resolve them. I dont think its all that productive to have democrats against republicans. And i have friendships with other people people on the other side because in time to do need to listen to one another and 8 or maybe any thing to disagree on but if there are some things you can agree on, they had to pt those at the front of the list. Host in a moment i will ask you about katie hill because you cover the both in the book really well. Are you a natural born politician. I know your dad was the perfect politician. Are you how you achieve political status and the social media page. Or maybe her natural born, but ronald ragan, a great actor this figured out how to make it work in politics. Matt gaetz i started in the state legislator. I thought that i could contribute to new generation of Republican Leadership in the state of florida. But thats chance to serve in a number of capacities there. So i think my first passion is policy. Make sure that we actually put policies in place that can lift up all americans do believe you have to animate them with a certain showmanship. They convinced members of congress to in the middle of the night go to the floor and give these boring ovations to empty rooms. Normal people would think that would be a sign of mental illness. But thats actually how we including Congress Rather to a speaking to an empty room i think weve got to to be a television on the radio and on the internet sharing the passionate visions to include people invite people to a movement. And thats what i try to do with firebranddispatches from the frontlines of the maga revolution. Host its sort of like how much, a minute of the media equates to in terms of value with advertising. Because it seems like you have figured that out. Matt gaetz there are a number of those out there to try to break it down for me, and make humidity is the objective. I want to continue the discussion in the debate. Come from the district that they come from. People who served in our military, theres a certain fighting spirit the comes with the military district. In the veteran district. I do believe that same sense of patriotism can convert to things you have in these Committee Rooms are for the congress or even possible television at times. I write about the decision that i have paid much as to appear with interviewers but just to go on to stand in our or when they might not hold by posix near and dear to the hearts but i think that its a healthy democracy, to show that we can actually have those disagreements. They can be interesting. They can be or tell a lot about what were trying to bring to question. You can win all of your home games 50 50 on the road, acknowledges that in times we need to put yourself out there, you can sometimes them away from some of those circle battles. But i actually think america is all the better for it. We engage in that robust game. Host would you go so far as to say that today and is not the currency of power, and the social media age could be in some part famous is what drives power in this modern age. Would you agree. Matt gaetz i would agree. I think that creates opportunity. Because when you save the people that run the place are simply those who have been around the longest, then it creates a hazard because a lot of the ambitious people i want to do Something Else to leave. So the ones who have been around for 2025 or 30 years of the ones who Film Congress is the vessel ever do. The most excitement though ever have. It and it the type of innovation and creativity that i think our country needs to meet these new challenges. And write the only a fool would expect in institution chocked of older people to go once all the major challenges that will impact the new generation of americans. And i encourage i am people wanting to serve whether they are on the right or the left. I think will actually have the most socially interconnected generation and all of Human History in the millennials coming into more political power. We should do that is a great opportunity to actually work together. If we have an environment, that will affect us all equally. If we have a country that is unfocused, that trains the soul of the nation across any ideological or perspective. They think that common destiny great unity even in a dynamic like you described were at times confrontation completed to that type of online attention and pain. Host how has your book but over with your collected congress printer they dont really care. I will go back to his days. What about the frankness that you have had the courage to show. Does it cause trouble. I get the sense that something case anymore. Matt gaetz didnt really start with any friends in congress. So i havent missed what i havent lost. You can get the attention of the view of your colleagues as some have had challenges with. Let the diner should be discriminated against right and think of florida thought of those should be enjoyed. But nobody should sell the country out. So far too any do in washington. When the republicans do the wrong thing, i write about somebody who i think made a really bad mistake when choosing his own personal benefit that is owned portfolio and wealth over truth of the American People. So i will defend democrats if i think theyre being treated unfairly. An awful attack of republicans of a think they are engaged in misleads. What we had to do for america. I think we need more of that in politicians. More of the ability to recognize we are not two separate teams, we are all wearing the american jersey we can have different ideas but at the end of the debris fall fall got to get the country in one place. Host i think your political spectrum for example him you write about, you have full kind of blood similar operating styles. Shes effective on the left as you are in the right. Matt gaetz i read about how the president does well. If you remember donald trump quite literally judge his own talent competition. And as a star when he sees one. Which is sort of why he engages like this. I know shes socialist but i also know not sell out. I think there are too any actually believe in nothing. There just vessels in which special interest operate. If someone is sincere in their belief, i can usually find a way to work with someone on policy issue that will help people. Research to help veterans deal with ptsd. And similarly, i think people in my own party that have not arrive had a hard time supporting because theyre more interested in being a valet or special interest on Industry Group they are representing the values that they campaigned on before they became in that position. Host i worked on capitol hill in the reagan years. Theres gold in your book. You say i hope to represent them, your constituents, the best but i also represent them at the worst. And i beg your forgiveness. And it reminded me of a conclusion i came to after years on the hill. And that was that congress, if it is actually a perfect reflection of american society. And the constituents say there are people in florida who are interesting and strange there is a similar line in the book i acknowledge george h. W. Bush said he is a quiet man in the quiet voice of the country but i think it is a strange man in a strange voice but thats okay because at times is beyond the weird and interesting among us to do exceptional things and i think we can celebrate that to be a little more gracious to one another with our shortfalls recognizing we have something to contribute. And so to focus to some extent i was interested in the whole story and looking at see me valley with the Ronald Reagan library and she seemed to me to be a talented and tough operator she didnt seem to fold up the tent when things got tough so did she hit the road because the democratic leadership and Speaker Pelosi was concurred on did she really come to that conclusion to head home . Yes her husband releases private photos that were taken that were deeply embarrassing i encouraged her not to she acknowledge the fact he took some photos that you shouldnt have to put the people first that what she said each and every day she was riddled with anxiety with what next photo might come out of the former relationship and was surprised me so much of all the women in the United States congress not one who stepped up to defend her initially the sisterhood of the traveling pants were not there for one of their own even though they were willing to demonize the president for his own misdeeds so i just thought i should be there for my coworker being attacked and that it wasnt her actions as much as it was the unwillingness of her female colleagues to have her back. Even on the leading edge of millennials entering congress do you see the attitudes changing on capitol hill as time goes by with what you just described . I would definitely say the younger members of congress are more connected to one another than the older members are. I think at the environment that doesnt embrace term limits to embrace these longstanding grudges paralyze progress some of these old people they said something 12 years ago now they will work on appropriations or budgeting i think with younger people there is a willingness to say we grew up sharing every weird Halloween Costume we were on the social media post and then the accountability to come back together to re formulate the human bonds that are important to all of us. I think we can attack those challenges and those we have to face are very different from a generation. I dont think the baby boomer generation has to tackle the omnipresence of digital the way we havent how that impacts peoples lives in the debate about Climate Change should be over whether or not it is occurring because my generation deals with the reality of a changing climate and how that impacts people so we can get past part of the old dogma and move progress that i think is very utilitarian. You have a chapter called two parties, one scam and you cover a lot of issues but with a republican perspective are there any left in the house and the senate they give a damn about the deficit because it seems they have lost their way on spending and im startled having the Administration Like that and not focusing on that there is no distinguishing between the two parties on spending anymore. Am i wrong . You are not rand paul says when the democrats are in power the republicans of the conservative party when republicans are in power there is no conservative party because often times when it becomes inconvenient when people try to govern. Frankly that is because a special interest there is a strong special interest presence nobody would reduce his spending they all increase spending because then they can all get into the risen to a big special interest against the forever wars because they create Fund Opportunities for spending with little accountability. Theres not a big special interest push to limit illegal immigration because benefits on democrats in the benefits with political power and big businesses view it as an opportunity to keep wages down for americans. A number of these issues is not republicans versus democrats bed the established and the universal party that they work to adhere to so the worst elements of washington to impoverish us with bad trade deals and spilled the blood over patriots without an understanding of a victory looks like and to fundamentally change america thats a lot to fight against as the populist right in washington. You just mentioned the endless wars i have to say of all the chapters in the book that pulls at the heart strings. In your gut theres nothing more important than that like matt gates rules on when you should go to world one go to war versus when you shouldnt. We have been trading those same villages 19 years at a great cost to our country under people in the patriots when we have to fight one of the reasons why i am so grateful president reagan enshrined that ideology to have a big strong Capable Military to vanquish. I worry of the Permanent Police state that is far too accessibl accessible. President trump knows if you punch him in the nose and they wont mess with you again hes done that in syria and taking out aku bakr albaghdadi and what you dont do is try to move into their home for 20 years with the hopes to realign and that is the obama bush failed doctrines of the middle east have led to. Host turning to the election, election, in some respects do you see this upcoming election as a test of President Trumps social media capabilities and strength to just reach out and touch americans versus the Mainstream Media which is just unified against him . I do but also a political rebirth and initially ignited by president reagan he believed the Republican Party could get bigger and that there would be a new coalition in america deeply patriotic and one that word when against the soviet threat and an american now i think President Trump is what that realignment he will not invite everyone across the border illegally and impoverish everybody with bad trade deals so this represents how the political geography is changing the ideological spectrum and how the Core Principles of the party are different now than the neil libertarian days of the Republican Party that followed after president reagan. I do believe President Trump will win the upcoming election but if he does when he will be on his way to do Something Else will you be a different kind of congressman without President Trump . I cant imagine serving in a world where President Trump isnt there to create a new path to bring ideas forward to help our country men and women. I do view my service hinge to his but the America First movement has to live be on the presidency of donald trump whether that is now or what i believe after he is reelected to serve an additional four years. Its more than just the man or his charisma it has to be about these ideas how we take the America First ideology and apply that to fix our environment and confront china with the policy to ensure we rescue the American Economy with rising wages for generation to come the american First Movement is a failure with his passing presidency people who are in politics some will enter politics you will see this as enduring and i count myself among the group that this recent revelation with the hunter biden laptop so what will happen is the Mainstream Media it doesnt matter we could have evidence checks and they would ignore the story no matter what. It is a problem in america when Media Companies dont want to present fax to allow the country to analyze and come up with their own conclusions. They went to be the judge and jury and executioner arbitrating the truth and that is problematic for us i do believe the media should focus on the International Corruption but today voting is a selfish act most people know who they are voting for their look at the candidate and say who will vote for me will make love my life better . I think in the closing days of the election of the president focuses how americans are rising wages with more Capital Investment and for expansion and growth and opportunity, he will win over those undecideds. I think 2016 saw Hillary Clinton as a defender and then they saw something as a descriptor as the status quo and to see a similar dynamic and then to change the way the town works President Trump is reelected we will spend three years trying to delegitimize him but instead work on issues with a common cause of people across the political spectrum to realign trade and do infrastructure they could unite a government with the cancel culture just maybe animate these policies. Is china just going to crush us going back to the way of the donald trump . On the mission but that chart america the dream is a nightmare they havent become more like us they may have played on us more by stealing your intellectual property and lying to the world about their intentions and the way they tried to dominate so i began to see china with clear eyes and we stopped trying to build democracies out of blood and sand and we would see that china the skyscrapers with the very reagan approach is needed we have to see china as the type of threat to replace in the world reagan saw how damaging that would be to our country and the soviet union prevailed but that competing worldview and that stand up not the Friendly Workplace but truly as the entity to make it a less hospitable place. Do you see yourself as a firebrand . Im hoping to make it to 58. [laughter] it is an exciting time in our country with the president who challenges assumptions and at the same time donald trump in the white house with the media landscape that has a bias the bias to those who can talk about policies and investigations and with my for years in congress thats what i tried to do. Told the American People whats happening i was the first to call for the termination of Robert Mueller i was on the first to defend the president with the ukraine impeachment on impeachment ever pretty good record telling the truth calling the scandals for what they are saying the president is innocent and then in terms of policies. A refreshingly honest straightforward tale i hope four years from now if President Trump is reelected or not we can continue to follow the journey of a guy with courage and heart that i hope to see in the futur future. If we are doing this in four years with us enjoy the wonders in the great beauty of the Reagan Library and thank you for what you do to preserve the last great transformation one that inspired so many americans. The more we learn about the connectivity between the reagan movement and the Trump Movement to learn how politics on the right can be at its most successful self. You are welcome any time. Thank you congressman. Take care. Welcome to the crowd cast and the event