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Republicans were livid after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) ripped up her copy of Trump's State of the Union address on the House floor immediately after the President's speech.
Pelosi laughed off the gesture, saying it was the "courteous thing" to do "considering the alternatives."
Now, Trump's one of Trump's most vocal allies in the House of Representatives—Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL)—is calling for an ethics probe into the Speaker's actions.
Gaetz made the announcement on Twitter.
BREAKING: I'm filing an ethics complaint against @SpeakerPelosi for destroying @realDonaldTrump's State of the Unio… https://t.co/OWLEowvqO4— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@Rep. Matt Gaetz) 1580958637.0
The Congressman asserted that Pelosi broke 18 U.S. Code § 2071, which prohibits the concealment or destruction of government records. Gaetz ignored or was unaware that the President had the original copy of his address, and that a public speech—unlike an official document—isn't protected under the code.
It's unclear whether or not Gaetz believes that all 535 members of Congress keep their copies of every State of the Union address.
The Congressman took to far-right talk show host Laura Ingraham's Ingraham Angle on Fox News, where even she was skeptical of his latest shenanigan.
A snippet of their interview was shared by the Far-Right "news" account, The Daily Caller.
.@RepMattGaetz says he will be filing ethics charges against Speaker Pelosi for destroying “official records” when… https://t.co/Muk0ooAumD— Daily Caller (@Daily Caller) 1580961805.0
Ingraham said of Gaetz's efforts:
"You don't have the majority in the House. I heard today, well, it's not really a formal record because it's a copy of the speech that the President signed. I heard murmurs that this is cute, but it's not really gonna work, Congressman."
Gaetz's ally, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-NY) deflected to complaining that Congressman Steve King (R-IA) was removed from his committees for questioning why white supremacy was offensive, while Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) was only publicly rebuked in a resolution for implying dual loyalty from American Jews to Israel.
Ingraham's skepticism of Gaetz's quixotic quest only cemented its general stupidity.
When even Laura Ingraham has to admit it’s stupid! https://t.co/Leu3r5F6xn— RESOLUTE (@RESOLUTE) 1581015319.0
So there is something too dumb for Laura to play along with. https://t.co/dkgJJ7on6c— Great&UnmatchedCavsKermit (@Great&UnmatchedCavsKermit) 1581001493.0
Laura Ingram y’all. How much of a tool is Matt Gaetz? #MattGaetzIsATool https://t.co/e2RbT9hNYU— Sister Mary Loquacious (@Sister Mary Loquacious) 1581003383.0
When even Laura ingraham thinks you're an idiot, that is saying something. https://t.co/YESeNhRBHh— ~ kiddle (for Warren) (@~ kiddle (for Warren)) 1581008373.0
You know after being in the government for a couple of years he should know at least something about what he is doi… https://t.co/REOfAV8pYv— gerald (@gerald) 1581001530.0
And this is where we are people. How the hell did we become this country? https://t.co/7HOAwOl8d1— Nasty Southern Girl (@Nasty Southern Girl) 1581001463.0
Matt Gaetz is dumber than everyone except Devin's cow. https://t.co/MUPCm0YWqV— Bob Blakley (@Bob Blakley) 1581003778.0
Gaetz has had his own complaints during his tenure in Congress. In addition to storming a secure facility during an interrogation while brandishing his cell phone, Gaetz faced an ethics complaint for threatening Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen one night ahead of the House Oversight Committee.
Nancy Pelosi's book, Know Your Power, is available here.