Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said many New Yorkers are likely to flee to Florida during a testy House Judiciary Committee hearing about crime.
His remarks came amid an exchange during the hearing in which Democrats sought to push back against the GOP’s claims about a crime wave in blue states and cities by citing statistics about violence in Republican areas.
PROTESTERS GATHER OUTSIDE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARING IN MANHATTAN
“I am not here to criticize any New Yorkers, except maybe one and that’s because so many New Yorkers will soon become Florida voters. This is an iconic city. It’s actually our nation’s most iconic city,” Gaetz chided, appearing to take a dig at the Manhattan district attorney.
The House Judiciary Committee’s field hearing on the “victims of violent crime” in Manhattan on Monday came in response to the 34-count indictment lodged against former President Donald Trump.
Ranking member Jerry Nadler (D-NY) led the Democratic rebuttal against Republicans. He argued that crime in Manhattan plunged across the board under Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s tenure while “trending in the wrong direction” in Ohio and elsewhere.
Gaetz briefly tried to counter the Democratic rebuttal.
“I have to address this matter of crime rates that my colleagues keep talking about. And to the extent that there is an impact on crime rates in major cities, I would suggest that that is exactly what you get with the Sorosization of the United States justice system,” the congressman added.
“George Soros is putting in upwards of $40 million to elect 75 DAs to be able to engage in these downgrades,” he continued, implying that the Soros-backed prosecutors are weak on crime.
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Throughout the hearing, audience members routinely interrupted with jeers, boos, and laughter.
In addition to defending their record on crime, Democrats sought to turn the tables on Republicans by elevating their quest for more stringent gun control measures.
