Trump Aides Intervened to Stop Him From Meeting Gaetz, Says Report

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has spent years trashing his own reputation to show his unwavering loyalty to Donald Trump—and now it seems it was all a massive waste of time. According to a report from CNN, Gaetz was recently denied a meeting with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate as the Florida congressman faces a crisis that could potentially end his career. Unnamed sources told the network that Gaetz tried his best to arrange a sit-down with Trump after it was first revealed that he was being investigated over sex-trafficking allegations, but Trump’s aides said no. Trump has shown next to zero support for one of his most loyal allies since the allegations first became public—The Daily Beast reported this month that Trump’s aides have begged him to keep his distance from the Gaetz scandal. After CNN published its story Sunday night, Trump spokesman Jason Miller angrily denied the claim, calling it “literally made-up” and saying that the meeting refusal “flat out never happened.”