Local news anchor shuts down Matt Gaetz’s false 2020 election claims on live TV

Florida congressman Matt Gaetz often repeats the falsehood that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election, but on one local news station, he found himself being unexpectedly fact-checked in real time.

“So you’re still maintaining the 2020 election was stolen? Are we still going with that?” WEAR ABC 3 anchor Bob Solarski asked the Republican on Friday, as their conversation was broadcast live.

“Listen,” Mr Gaetz replied. “I believe that Donald Trump won the 2020 election. I believe that he won the Electoral College.”

Mr Solarski, standing directly in front of the congressman, interrupted him.

“You can’t say that without saying there was a gigantic conspiracy across this country in supervisor of elections’ offices to make this happen, and we haven’t still seen any evidence that proves that,” he said.

Mr Gaetz responded that there was evidence of voter fraud, but “judges just didn’t have the courage to take it up”.

In fact, President Joe Biden won handily in both the Electoral College and the popular vote, winning more than 7 million more votes than Mr Trump. In the aftermath, the former president’s lawyers failed in dozens of court cases to prove that the election was in any way rigged or stolen.

In spite of this, Mr Trump has relentlessly insisted that he was somehow the true victor, and has never conceded the race. Mr Gaetz remains one of his steadfast supporters.

Meanwhile, the Florida congressman is mired in his own legal troubles, as the US Department of Justice investigates whether he violated child sex trafficking laws. Mr Gaetz has vehemently denied those accusations, saying they’re part of a criminal extortion scheme against him and his family.

The Independent has reached out to Mr Gaetz’s office for comment.