First-term GOP Congressman Matt Gaetz, a steadfast Trump supporter, shocked even CNN at a "town hall" event near Pensacola Thursday night when he called for President Donald J. Trump to release his tax returns.
He was pressed. The room was full of protesters dead-set against his bill to shut down the Environmental Protection Agency
Gaetz, speaking at the Oops Bowling Alley in Pace, ended his Florida talk as he often does, saying he wanted to "make America great again."
Then it started. He was asked if Donald Trump should release his tax returns.
Donna Waters, a 56-year-old lawyer from Pensacola, became emotional as she pressed Gaetz for an answer.
"I'm the descendant of an immigrant, he came to America in 1607 to a town called Jamestown, and my family's been here ever since," Waters said, noting that her family members have fought in every major US war, including both sides of the Civil War.
"Whenever there's a threat to this country, my family has stepped forward," Waters said, tearing up. "There are allegations that a hostile foreign country is committing acts of undeclared war by infiltrating the highest levels of our government."
Waters continued: "You are on the Judiciary Committee. You have said they are going to investigate the Russian allegations. Yes or no, Yes or no -- let me ask my question -- will you call for the release of President Trump's income tax returns?"
As Gaetz, a former high-profile state representative, took back the microphone, the crowd immediately began screaming, "Yes or no! Yes or no!"
Then Gaetz -- an outspoken attorney himself -- said, "If you hear me out, you'll like my answer."
He replied, yes, Trump should produce his returns -- though he didn't say Congress should subpoena those returns.
The line produced some rare applause from the crowd that was otherwise mostly livid over his push to abolish the Environmental Protection Agency and a string of other issues.
During his presidential campaign, Trump became the first major-party nominee since 1972 not to release his tax returns -- citing ongoing IRS audits and saying he would do so once those audits were completed. In January, an about-face: His adviser Kellyanne Conway said no, the president will not be releasing his tax returns.
As reported by CNN, throughout Gaetz's hour-long town hall, protesters booed, chanted, yelled over him and jeered Gaetz. At one point, a questioner asked Gaetz if he would vote to impeach Trump, to which the crowd began chanting, "Impeach Trump! Impeach Trump!"
"I do not agree with President Trump on every issue, I do not agree with any human being on Planet Earth on every issue, but I support President Trump and I'm going to back him up," Gaetz said.
Gaetz often spoke directly with the protesters. Outside a meeting with constituents at the Santa Rosa County Building, Sarah Coutu, a mother of eight from Milton and member of Florida Panhandle Progressives, confronted him on his EPA bill.
As he attempted to talk through his call to abolish the EPA, protesters screamed, "Your last term!" over him and he walked into the building.
But Gaetz also tightly controlled access to his earlier events, holding an earlier meeting with constituents in a back room of a restaurant that had limited access.
During a stop at Grover T's BBQ in Milton, Gaetz was ushered past more than 100 protesters by a group of sheriff's deputies and members of Bikers for Trump, who said they were providing security.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith. CNN provided much of the information for this story.
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