One of President Donald Trump's greatest allies in Congress, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), on Wednesday said he would be willing to resign from Congress in order to join Trump's defense team in the upcoming Senate impeachment trial.
"There were some of us who checked to see where we could be the ones to go defend [President Trump] in the Senate because we would be honored to and the word we got back from House Ethics is that we could not, as sitting members of the House, go and defend him in the Senate," Gaetz explained on the War Room Pandemic podcast, with host Steve Bannon.
"Would you step down from Congress? Would you resign in order to defend the president in the way you want to defend him?" Bannon asked.
Gaetz said although he loves being in the House and representing his constituents, he would be part of Trump's defense team if he was asked.
"I view this cancelation of the Trump presidency and the Trump movement as one of the major risks to my people, both in my district and all throughout this great country," Gaetz explained. "Absolutely, if the president called me and wanted me to go defend him on the floor of the Senate, that would be the top priority in my life. I would leave my House seat. I would leave my home. I would do anything I had to do to ensure the greatest president in my lifetime – one of the greatest presidents our country has ever had, maybe the greatest president our country has ever had – got a full-throated defense that wasn't crouched down, that wasn't in fear of losing some moderate Republican senator, but was worthy of the fight that he gave to the great people of this country for four years."
Bannon followed up by saying he was pretty sure Gaetz's constituents would overwhelmingly support him if he decided to be part of Trump's defense team.
The impeachment trial is scheduled to begin in the Senate on Monday.