NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland — Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) emerged as one of the stars of the Conservative Political Action Conference as the Florida Republican railed against the Democratic Party in what was one of the most highly attended speeches so far at the four-day convention.
Attendees filled the conference hall at the Gaylord Resort in National Harbor, Maryland, as Gaetz took the stage on Friday afternoon, making it one of the most popular speeches at the annual conservative gathering. Gaetz also managed to receive some of the loudest applause from attendees after calling on the United States government to pull out of the United Nations.
“We shouldn’t have any foreign aid to any other country without corresponding cuts to our own bloated federal budget,” Gaetz said, prompting a standing ovation from the crowd. “if you want to send aid to Israel, fine. Do it by defunding the United Nations.”
Gaetz’s speech comes as Republicans in the House and Senate disagree on a path forward for foreign aid toward Israel and Ukraine. Although lawmakers in the upper chamber passed assistance for the countries earlier this month, that proposal has already been deemed dead on arrival by House conservatives who argue any foreign aid must be paired with steep spending cuts.
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House Democrats and Republicans have already released their own separate alternatives to the Senate deal, although it remains unclear how Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will move forward.
Gaetz’s speech at CPAC comes ahead of several other high-profile speakers who are expected to close out the conference, including House GOP Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake. Former President Donald Trump will deliver remarks of his own on Saturday.
