'Hilariously false': Matt Gaetz disputes report that he talked with President Trump about his tweet attacking Michael Cohen

The Atlantic’s Edward-Isaac Dovere is reporting that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was overheard talking to President Trump last night, saying “I was happy to do it for you” in regard to Gaetz’s possible threat against Michael Cohen’s family ahead of his public testimony on Wednesday:

President Trump called @mattgaetz last night from Hanoi to talk the Cohen testimony and the threats (since rescinded) Gaetz made about Cohen.
"I was happy to do it for you. You just keep killing it," Gaetz was heard telling him.
(Gaetz told me he doesn't discuss calls w/POTUS)

— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) February 28, 2019

Gaetz tweeted last night that he has since “personally apologized” to Michael Cohen and that “family members should be off-limits from attacks”:

I’ve personally apologized to @MichaelCohen212 4 referencing his private family in the public square. Regardless of disagreements, family members should be off-limits from attacks from representatives, senators & presidents, including myself. Let’s leave the Cohen family alone.

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) February 28, 2019

The timing of the alleged phone would have been just before Gaetz sent the above tweet:

Call happened at just before 9 PM last night DC time, which means that the president was making this phone call as he headed into his meetings with Kim for the day (Hanoi is 12 hours ahead), which of course seem to have fallen apart not long after https://t.co/XmG3ywhEDz

— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) February 28, 2019

contrast this private comment to what Gaetz has done publicly – deleted the original threatening tweet, and tweet separately last night "I’ve personally apologized to @MichaelCohen212 4 referencing his private family in the public square."

— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) February 28, 2019

tracking timing: the tweet in which Gaetz said he apologized to Cohen was sent *after* he talked to Trump and said he was happy to do it.
(I offered Gaetz several chances to refute the comment to Trump, but he left it at saying he doesn't discuss conversations with Trump.)

— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) February 28, 2019

Gaetz is currently under investigation by the Florida Bar for the now-deleted tweet at Cohen:

.@TheFlaBar, this is relevant to your investigation of @mattgaetz: (1) he threatened a committee witness; (2) he's not a committee member; (3) his allegations were not raised in the hearing, suggesting he had no basis; and now (4) he reportedly admitted to doing it for Trump.

— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) February 28, 2019

Gaetz, who didn’t respond to Dovere before he tweeted, now says it’s “#FakeNews”:

#FakeNews https://t.co/oKwTaMgdTe

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) February 28, 2019

And he called Dovere’s report “hilariously false” in a text message exchange with Vox’s Alex Ward:

Gaetz just told me this is “hilariously false.” Our text exchange in thread here. /1 https://t.co/goPPurnch5

— Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox) February 28, 2019

Me: Any response?

Gaetz: It’s hilariously false.

Me: How so?

Gaetz: Because apparently if people hear me on the phone they assume I’m talking to the President. I don’t have many friends, but I have more than one.

/2

— Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox) February 28, 2019

Me: So you didn’t talk to the president while he was in Hanoi?

Gaetz: No

Me: Or on the way/coming back from there?

Gaetz: No

Me: Have you spoken at all about that tweet before or after you sent it?

Gaetz: No

/3

— Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox) February 28, 2019

Me: Any idea what conversation you may have had that someone mistook as you chatting with the president?

Gaetz: Yes. That’s why it’s hilarious.

Me: Who were you talking to?

Gaetz: I don’t believe i said

/4

— Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox) February 28, 2019

Gaetz, however, would not tell Ward who he was speaking to:

Me: No, you didn’t. Just want to know what conversation you were having that someone may have mistook as you speaking with the president.

[No response]

/5

— Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox) February 28, 2019

***

‘Whomp whommmp’! GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz reportedly under investigation after tweeting threat at Michael Cohen https://t.co/ShH1Q4iuhR

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) February 27, 2019