It’s reasonably possible that trump likes him specifically because of these accusations.
People who have baggage are easily controllable. Trump’s a mob boss, and he’s equally in the pocket of Putin. He’s used to these tactics.
Emperor Trump has a quiz for you dissidents: does this napkin smell like novichok? Answer honestly, you peasant.
What the hell are you talking about?
The president-elect has no idea what Gaetz looks like. The president-elect doesn’t even know Gaetz. The president-elect has never considered Gaetz for AG. The president-elect and Gaetz have never met.
For the uninformed, this is funny (and sarcasm) because there’s mountains of evidence of them together. Besides, you know, picking him for AG. But he tries this defense all the time anyway, and people actually believe it.
Just like explicitly Trump calling up members of Congress to kill the bipartisan border bill, and then blaming the Democrats for not passing a border bill. They sold that one on the campaign trail too, and it worked.
Sources
- Matt Gaetz Facebook video of Trump thanking him,
- [Gaetz Introduces Resolution Absolving Trump’s Role in Jan. 6 Insurrection] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rog9Tm7hqS4)
To be fair Tim Walz tried to point out that Trump voted down the Border Bill… and everyone just laughed at him and called him Tampon Tim because America is currently in its “Too Dumb To Live” phase
People don’t actually believe it, they’re just looking for an opportunity to give themselves plausible deniability. To let themselves off the hook for being complete pieces of shit.
Thank you. I don’t mark my sarcasm and I thought I was going to get my post removed for misinformation again lol
Yeah, there’s another one not marked that’s been up for hours. “Tulsi Gabbard to be Director of National Security.” Yeah, okay. Funny joke.
It looks like your memory doesn’t extend before 2020. If you can recall further, you will remember that jokes in the 2020+ era may not be considered jokes in the 2016-2020 era
Every pick has been specifically chosen to be bad for their role.
Gaetz was 100% chosen for ATTORNEY GENERAL because of the accusations.
Kinda feels like it. I wonder if the idea is to lower the bar for the next pick – someone who sucks 75% as badly?
I think he’s testing loyalty in the party. I think he wants exactly who he has chosen.
It’s like one massive trolling so they can say “see how bad it could have been? Now take this close to but not quite as bad choice and like it.”
He will never top Romney for head of the DOE. Yes yes it’s bad to appoint people as a form of trolling but you have to admit sometimes he’s funny.
Romney? Did you mean Perry?
Ah yeah that’s right, Rick Perry. I’m glad I remember anything from the 2012 republican primary let alone which guy tanked his campaign with a debate gaffe.
He didn’t remember because Rick Perry wasn’t wearing his fedora. “A governor? Perry the governor!”
Haha yeah he’s not too memorable otherwise but it’s a funny mistake since Romney and Trump hate each other.
At this point Romney feels like the guy who was the villain in the first season, but he has a small recurring role as one of the good guys who pose for merchandise but don’t actually affect the plot… So he’s Tien now I guess.
A distraction perhaps
The article mentions that he paid her to have sex with him at a party. That also makes it a sex trafficking crime. Also, IANAL but if the jurisdiction had an age of consent lower than 18, the sex trafficking part might negate that.
Also, Gaetz, who was born in 1982, was 35 at the time – double her age and well outside the limits of any potential Romeo & Juliet laws.
Guy seriously broke the ‘half your age + seven’ rule. Off with his head.
I tend to stick to within 5ish years of my own age. Any more seems weird.
It becomes less meaningful as you get older.
The issue with a teen and a 30 yo is the balance of power. Kids that age haven’t dated and figured out all the red flags making abuse much more likely and easy to pull off.
Once you’re both over 30 it doesn’t really make much difference apart from potential grossness which is super subjective.
I’m 45 and still feel the same way I did when I was younger. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I’m 48 and my girlfriend of several years is 31. We don’t really think about it. But if I were 31 she would have been 14. It’s not a pleasant thought in that context.
My sister and I had an agreement, I don’t date anyone younger than her and she doesn’t date anyone older than me. :)
We’re 9 years apart.
I hope she’s your younger sister….
Okay, but since you haven’t established birth order, that could be either a really good rule or a really bad one.
Yeah, sorry, I’m older. :)
I married someone 5 years younger than me, 4 years older than her.
TBH, I don’t know how old her husband is. Pretty sure he’s younger than me.
The answer to your riddle is… Your dating your sister! Roll tide.
It’s 1/7th your age plus 2, right?
These parties were also said to be full of drugs (in addition to alcohol), which one could argue blurs any consent, especially when your looking at a 35/yr old man wanting to pay a 17/yr girl for sex. He was also a congressman by then, which also makes this a very lopsided power dynamic when arguing consent with a possibly intoxicated underage girl.
The woman’s allegation regarding Gaetz became part of the investigation following claims by Greenberg, a former friend of Gaetz who is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence after reaching a deal with investigators in May 2021 in which he pleaded guilty to multiple federal crimes, including sex trafficking of the woman when she was a minor and introducing her to other “adult men” who also had sex with her when she was underage.
This part also make one more inclined to believe this has something to it, and probably more women that aren’t coming forward because of all the death threats and toxicity projected at victims.
AND HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE OUR NEW AG!!
Why would having sex at a party make it trafficking.
It’s just paid for underage sex at a party.
Unless she was trafficked at the party by someone else, but I don’t think that gets the person paying charged with trafficking? That would get the person who trafficked her that charge.
Wasn’t he older than that? I saw some other article stating this was 2 years ago when he would have been 40…
Florida started investigating him for this crime, which occurred in 2016, in 2019. In 2021 the House Ethics Committee started investigating, but they paused because the justice department was already investigating.
It’s a very confusing timeline
You know what’s fucking infuriating? Nothing will happen to this fucker at all.
Nothing has happened to captain cheeto after he literally raped a child, so I can’t say I’m surprised.
This shit shouldn’t thought of as an “oh well”. It’s so fucked
Yeah no, I didn’t mean it that way. Shit’s completely fucked, I probably just have outrage fatigue.
Not saying you meant it that way, I’m saying 71 million Americans did. The more I think about it the more fucked it looks. Ngl, I hate the Democrats as much as the next person, but fuck, man, never in a million year would I vote for a person like Trump. It’s fucking insanity. How can anyone listen to this man talk and say “ah, this is going to be a good president”? Just how?
Honestly I think many of them don’t listen to him talk. They just passively absorb what’s thrown their way.
Or even just "this is going to be a not-horrific president? How?
Two types of people voted for this dude, evil, selfish assholes who know exactly what he is and want to line up their pockets. And misinformed poor folks who are fooled by some outlet like MSM or something similar.
Pretty sure outrage fatigue is how we lost this election unfortunately. The gish gallop from orange Satan NEVER ENDSSSSSS. Why is it such an effective strategy? I can’t even listen to him talk without being repulsed
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Ups his cred with Republicans. They love pedophiles.
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Would you prefer the terminology “raped a minor?” That help you sleep at night?
17 is age of consent in quite a few states. Mostly republican states, obvs.
In Florida the age of consent is 16 … if the other person is under 24.
Sure, that works
So, based on your phrasing “banging a17yo,” I’m gonna guess that your issue is with the label pedophile and not the ACT OF RAPING CHILDREN. Glad that’s been established.
You are so triggered.
And you’re mercifully free of the ravages of intelligence. Must be nice, what, with all that bliss and all. 😘
Again, words have meanings. I’m sorry that makes you emotional and require all caps to try and make your point.
Yes.
Pedos don’t like being called pedos. More groundbreaking news at 11. Back to you, Tom.
Banging a 17 year old in a state where the age of consent is 18 makes the argument irrelevant.
It absolutely doesn’t
Legally you’re wrong. Morally too but legally also.
“Pedophilia” is a psychological term, not a legal one. Perhaps you are looking for “rape.”
Treating “pedophile” as a synonym for “child molester” is like treating “schizophrenic” as a synonym for “axe murder”. Using psychological conditions as slurs and everyday metaphors is harmful.
Explain how I’m wrong? Or did you think banging a 17 year old is literally pedophilia?
It’s annoying when right wing weirdos label everyone that disagrees with them a pedo, it’s not any less annoying when it’s done by everyone else.
Do you often find yourself being labeled as a pedo? Might want to rethink some things then.
I was often finding myself beyond labeled as a pedo. On twitter. By maga morons that label everyone they disagree with a pedo.
I did rethink some things and went to lemmy. I guess not much changes.
Arguing that wanting to have sex with a minor is anything but is a take, and definitely has me glad Boost supports user tagging.
Not even a crime in most states: https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/age-of-consent-in-each-us-state-1701408847-1
(This is coming from an Aussie where 16 is the AoC in all states. We have exceptions that make it 18 if the other party has a duty of care tho)
Edit: I should add that it’s still fucking creepy and weird when an older man does this. Just, not pedophilia, and not by default (statutory) rape in most places. Unlike what the people in this thread seem to think.
It’s almost like we shouldn’t water down such serious terms by lumping everything in with it.
You fucking think its not fucking serious that a 40+ year old paid a 17 yo for sex?
There’s not an answer I can give that is going to satisfy you, so what’s the point in me giving you one?
You can give the obvious right answer and you refuse to do so.
I already gave the “obvious right answer”:
Edit: I should add that it’s still fucking creepy and weird when an older man does this. Just, not pedophilia, and not by default (statutory) rape in most places. Unlike what the people in this thread seem to think.
Ok, Billy Ray.
idgi
Don’t be him. Language is fluid.
Words have definitions
Indeed they do. And since you seem to be under the impression that those definitions do not change, please define ‘silly’ for me as it was defined when it began to be used in late Middle English.
I feel you’re being silly regardless of the early or current definition of the word, but I’m betting you also don’t use the word that way.
Define pedophilia for me
I believe I asked you for a definition first. I’m not sure why you expect me to do that when you won’t.
Because your request was rhetorical and his is not, having a concrete answer that is actually fucking relevant and essential to the discussion.
based on how people use them, not ordained by the gods of language. people say pedophile to mean someone who rapes a minor.
I mean you can also say someone is a murderer of they eat cabbage, but you’d be wrong.
Calling everyone you dislike a pedo is as lame as calling everyone you dislike a commie or Hitler.
Seriously… having sex with or raping a 17 year old doesn’t make you a pedophile. It makes you a statutory rapist. That’s bad enough without having to make dumb shit up as an insult.
I’m surprised and disappointed so many on lemmy are falling into that sort of weak bullshit but… here we are
what you should be disappointed in is not being able to make an argument without strawmanning multiple times.
what you’re doing is just refusing to cooperate on language that’s already obvious and widely understood. it’s bad faith.
I’ve made the argument countless times. If you want to call raping a 17 year old pedophilia, that’s up to you. I’m not going to call a swimming pool a lake.
That should probably give him a huge assist within trump’s regime. They seem to love that type of thing.
Why do you think he was selected for AG?
Partly, to make the House drop their investigation because he’s no longer a member…
I knew it was going to be bad, but holy shit…
I’ve also noticed nobody has even mentioned EPA. My guess is that he will just do away with it altogether.
For sure, nothing better than a sycophant lackey except a sycophant lackey they have dirt on, ask Putin.
“These allegations are invented and would constitute false testimony to Congress,” Gaetz said in response to ABC News’ reporting.
AG Gaetz has his first case all lined up doesn’t he?
So, we are going to have an actual child-fucker as AG.
Republicans, “the party of law and order”.
🤣
Btw, if there is anyone that I would believe would feed on adrenochrome…just look at Gaetz. Sure, the adrenochrome thing is just rehashed antisemitic blood libel bullshit, but I could see Gaetz maybe trying it out to see…
Hey, the President is an adjuducated rapist with 34 felony convictions, why should the AG be clean?
The pizza basements will become mandatory.
Do they come with pizza ovens? Regular ovens just don’t get the dough hot enough for a good crust.
There are many credible accusations against Trump being a pedophile. So why would his AG be any different?
Pointed out last night that a sexually active 17-yo isn’t anything like a “child” or “kid”. Got buried. She also started an OF site at 18. Magically crossed a calendar date and went from “child” to “full grown woman who can do whatever the fuck she pleases”. Weird how that works. In any case, I’m glad she did as she pleased and finally testified.
Been following Gaetz because he was my Congressman. Simple history, he’s a rich frat boy that got lucky. Should have never hit the national stage when he did, or ever. Explains much. My god, he was showing nudies around the House floor!
NONE of that changes the fact that he’s guilty as fuck of all the charges leveled at him. Or at least I think so, barring a court date or the release of the House investigation. But facts are dead around here, he’s a “child fucker”. Whatever.
I went to look at your comment. I’ll be polite and summarize it instead of sharing the exact quote.
I was 18 and had a 17 year old girlfriend and we had a ton of sex. That’s what 17 year olds do.
If you don’t understand how the power dynamics are different between 2 nobodies of similar age vs a 17 year old and a 38 year old federal representative and his local gov buddy, you may want to read some things written about consent written in the last decade.
When I was 17, someone almost 40 was considered old as hell.
Edit: Article on coercion vs consent
They had her out of state, where she likely didn’t really know where she was, likely had no one to get help from if she felt she was in a bad situation, and was there with very much more adult authority figures, and there were drugs at the party, so she may have also been under the influence.
You also can’t fault someone for taking time to want to testify. She probably felt at least partially responsible, and he is a national figure. It takes time to get up courage to open yourself up to the whole world getting a chance to say things like you must have wanted it or did something to deserve it.
People are adults at 17?
I mean it depends on the country and state…
When is the last time you tried to communicate with a 17 year old, as an adult? It you have anything in common with someone like that, then you’re creepy.
“Had sex with” is a weird way to say raped
Rapists are paying close attention…a phrase that is now a normal thing one would expect to be said on radio and TV news.
Gold star Attorney General qualities. Trump does surround himself with the best.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump comes out and says that you have to be good at breaking the law before you can apply it
This AG appointment is the biggest troll but the dude stayed loyal to Trump.
Trolling is baiting people to argue with you. This is destroying our nations integrity, one pedophile appointment at a time.
Woah are they gonna promote Gaetz to president?
This guy looks like insane Jack Torrance
I’d say that he’s the adult version of Butthead in the reboot of Beavis and Butthead. But i gotta ask: what does sane Jack Torrance look like…?
Gross.
