An adviser and spokesman for former President Donald Trump asked CNN to retract a report that cited anonymous sources saying embattled Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) tried to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago, Fla. but was stopped by an aide to the former president. A spokesman for Trump said the claim was completely untrue.
“This CNN story is completely fake news,” Trump adviser Jason Miller tweeted. “(Gates) has never made such a scheduling or meeting request, and therefore could never have denied it. Please note that the story has no documented source. It is in fact fictitious. We request a full retraction.”
CNN’s report cites “people familiar with the matter. The report said Gates, who is facing a federal investigation, tried to visit Trump in recent days but was rebuffed by Trump aides. The article also claims that the incident has caused Gates to find himself increasingly isolated from Trump and other Republicans. However, the reports were denied by both parties.
Late on Monday, Trump released an official statement saying, “The fake news outlet CNN, which used fully anonymous sources remarks that may have been fully fabricated, wrote very dishonest stories about Congressman Matt Gaetz asking to meet with me in Ma’aragao and being turned down, which are completely false.”
The statement condemned that CNN should investigate and write about the relationship between Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Chinese Communist spy Fang Fang, whose position on the House Intelligence Committee has created a national threat to the United States and should be expelled.
Following the release of the CNN article, Gates declared that the message statements in this article were completely false.
“This is a complete lie. My fiancée and I are on vacation. A few days ago, I was welcomed in Trump Doral, the Florida city where Gates recently released his speech. I was not turned down or sought out for such a meeting. …When can we expect a retraction?” He wrote to CNN reporter Gabby Orr on Twitter.
The House Ethics Committee previously announced on April 9 that it would launch an investigation into Rep. Gates of Florida, who has repeatedly and publicly supported Trump, for allegedly using illegal drugs and sharing photos of women on the House floor. In addition, left-wing media outlets have been consistent in reporting news that Gates sexually assaulted a minor, to which Gates said the incident came from a completely false accusation.
Gates also denounced the allegations that he had a relationship with a 17-year-old girl and other related allegations as completely false.
Gates did not request a meeting with Trump this week, Gates spokesman Harlan Hill said.
Hill told CNN that Gates, who was welcomed in Doral this week, did not seek a meeting with President Trump himself.
Trump also recently denied a New York Times report that said Gates had asked the former president for a pardon.
“Congressman Matt Gaetz has never asked me for a pardon,” Trump said in a statement last week. “It is also important to remember that he has completely denied the allegations against him.”
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