In what is fast becoming an international act of protest, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is the latest politician to be “milkshaked”.
On Saturday, the die-hard Trump supporter was leaving a town hall meeting in Pensacola, Florida, when he had a well-aimed drink tossed at him by a woman in a group of demonstrators.
Judging by footage posted on Twitter of the incident, it appears congressman Gaetz’s right arm was hit, though it is unclear whether the liquid was indeed a milkshake.
The woman, 25-year-old Democrat Amanda Kondrat’yev, has since been arrested and charged with battery. She has since been released on a $1,000-bail.
The instant the beverage was hurled was caught on camera and predictably went viral on Twitter.
In a post, user Jordan Uhl wrote:
Matt Gaetz got milkshaked in Pensacola pic.twitter.com/yqz3bPgjw5
— jordan (@JordanUhl) June 1, 2019
#Florida congressman @mattgaetz gets a milkshake thrown at him as he leaves a coffee shop in #Pensacola, surrounded by protestors.
— Frances Wang (@FrancesWangTV) June 2, 2019
The woman who threw the shake was charged w/ misdemeanor battery.
Gaetz later said: “It takes more than a drink to slow down our great team.” pic.twitter.com/v5kFBWMzyx
Matt Gaetz himself later commented on the incident:
Clearly it takes more than a drink to slow down our great team.
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) June 1, 2019
We are always thankful to the brave law enforcement officials who keep everyone safe at our events. https://t.co/njWuBquiRs
Democrat Kondrat’yev previously ran for Gaetz’s seat in Florida in 2016 and lost.
Gaetz, now under investigation by the Florida Bar for alleged witness tampering, hit national headlines after seemingly threatening Michael Cohen before the latter’s testimony to the House Oversight and Reform Committee, reports the Daily Dot.
Britain “started” the trend, when people began dumping beverages at right-wing politicians and figures.
The first target was EDL founder Tommy Robinson, when he was doused in milkshake twice in a day while campaigning for the European elections.
Since then, other right-wingers have also been pelted with beverages, including Nigel Farage, who was hit with a banana and salted caramel milkshake while out campaigning for the Brexit Party ahead of European elections.
One wonders who will be next in the US?
