FACT CHECK: Did Nancy Pelosi Say, ‘Not Any Other Human Has Ever Been More Deserving Of What’s Coming To Them Than Is Matt Gaetz’?
A post shared on Facebook claims House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “Not any other human has ever been more deserving of what’s coming for them than is Matt Gaetz.”
Verdict: False
There is no record of Pelosi saying the quote attributed to her in the Facebook post. A spokesperson for Pelosi’s office refuted the quote.
Fact Check:
Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice over whether he violated sex trafficking laws, according to the Washington Post. The House Ethics Committee has also launched an investigation into Gaetz for allegations including sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, CNBC reported.
The Facebook post attempts to attribute to Pelosi a statement regarding Gaetz and the allegations against him, quoting her as saying, “Not any other human has ever been more deserving of what’s coming for them than is Matt Gaetz.” The Florida congressman has not been charged with any crimes by the DOJ at this time and has denied the accusations.
There is no indication Pelosi made the statement. A search of the congressional record, as well as press releases put out by Pelosi’s office, yielded no matches for the quote in the Facebook post. The supposed remark cannot be found in any posts on Pelosi’s verified Twitter and Facebook accounts. Major media outlets also do not appear to have quoted Pelosi as making the comment.
Henry Connelly, the communications director for Pelosi’s office, confirmed to Check Your Fact in an email the quotation is false. (RELATED: Did Nancy Pelosi Say, ‘Social Security Recipients Are Just A Burden On Society’?)
Pelosi has publicly commented on the allegations made against Gaetz. She told reporters April 1 that “if in fact these allegations are true, of course being removed from the Judiciary Committee is the least that could happen,” according to the Associated Press.
When asked by “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan on April 11 if Gaetz should resign, Pelosi also said, “It’s up to the Republicans to take responsibility for that,” according to The Hill.
“We in the Congress, in the House, have Rule 23 which says that in the conduct of our duties we are not to bring dishonor on to the House of Representatives,” she went on to say to Brennan. “I think there’s been a clear violation of that but it’s up to the Ethics Committee to investigate that, and it’s up to the Republican leader Mr. McCarthy to act upon that behavior.”