Matt Gaetz revs up MAGA faithful at GOP convention

Rep. Matt Gaetz offered up a helping of red meat to the Republican base on Night One of the GOP convention, warning in remarks geared toward motivating President Trump’s loyal voters that the Democratic nominee could not be trusted to keep the United States safe and prosperous.

The Florida Republican, among Trump’s most committed lieutenants on Capitol Hill, urged voters to set a high bar for leadership ahead of the Nov. 3 elections and avoid settling for the “bad decisions by basement-dwelling Joe Biden.” Gaetz said the president “has what it takes” to “raise an army of patriots” to keep the country safe, utilizing the sort of nationalistic rhetoric Trump often uses to frame the values that undergird his agenda.