Rep. Matt Gaetz. Photo: Patrick Semansky-Pool/Getty Images
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said he will no longer accept campaign donations from political action committees in a speech Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
Why it matters: Pushback against super PACs has largely been concentrated on the left — with Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders serving as vocal critics of special interests on the 2020 campaign trail. But on Thursday, Gaetz painted himself as "a different kind of Republican" while linking his decision to President Trump's "America First movement."
- The Florida congressman has been one of Trump's staunchest allies in the House.
What he's saying: “Honest capitalism, what we cherish, is under attack every day. Not just by the Bernie bros and antifa and the radical left — but by special interests and PACs inside the swamp of Washington, D.C."
- "The American people are my one and only special interest."