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Is Tucker Carlson dinner story true? Matt Gaetz drags him into FBI teen sex case: 'I brought a friend of mine'

Carlson called it the 'weirdest interview ever conducted' after Gaetz brought up an old rape accusation against the host and also mentioned a woman they both knew

Representative and Donald Trump aide Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is being invested by the Justice Department for his alleged sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl. According to three people who are in the know of this case, an investigation into whether he paid for arrangements to be made for the underage girl to travel with him is also underway. Shortly after a major publication dropped the jolting story, the congressman gave an equally startling interview to Fox News.

Appearing on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight', Gaetz tried to establish that the allegations levelled against him had something to do with Carlson. The talk show host was quick to clarify that he had no clue about what the lawmaker was talking about and noted that it was the "weirdest interview" he ever conducted. Carlson did not find the answer to whether Gaetz was in any sort of relationship with the teenage girl but found himself being dragged into an unexpected story by the Republican. Read all the details below. 

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Alleged sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl

The New York Times reported that the DOJ was looking into allegations that Gaetz paid for the travel of a 17-year-old girl with who he allegedly had a sexual relationship with. The outlet noted that the investigation into whether Gaetz violated sex trafficking laws began in the final months of Trump in office under former Attorney General William Barr.

In multiple tweets, the lawmaker called the story a "planted leak" to cool off an investigation into “criminal extortion involving a former DOJ official seeking $25 million while threatening to smear my name”. In one of his tweets, Gaetz added, "I demand the DOJ immediately release the tapes, made at their direction, which implicate their former colleague in crimes against me based on false allegations.”

Matt Gaetz accuses NYT of smear campaign

Gaetz appeared on the talk show after venting out via many tweets, and once there, he continued to lash out at the publication. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that tonight somehow The New York Times is leaking this information, smearing me and ruining the investigation that would likely result in one of the former colleagues of the current DOJ being brought to justice,” Gaetz added. He also named David McGee, an attorney of law firm Beggs & Lane, as the ex-DOJ employee and his blackmailer during the interview. 

Matt Gaetz recalls rape accusation against Tucker Carlson

“I’m not the only person on screen right now who’s been falsely accused of a terrible sex act,” Gaetz said to the Fox News host, bringing up a false rape accusation against the host. “You were accused of something you did not do, so you know what this feels like," he added and the energy between the two turned visibly weird. “You just referred to a mentally ill viewer who accused me of a sex crime 20 years ago. And of course, it was not true. I never met the person," Carlson said looking very confused the whole time. 

Did Matt Gaetz and Tucker Carlson know the same woman?

Things became even more strange as Gaetz further revealed that the FBI was investigating a woman in the case who they both knew. He tried to get Carlson to admit that he knew the woman, but the host flatly declined. “You and I went to dinner about two years ago, your wife was there, and I brought a friend of mine, you’ll remember her,” Gaetz said. “And she was actually threatened by the FBI, told that if she wouldn’t cop to the fact that somehow I was involved in some pay-for-play scheme that she could face trouble.”

A shocked Carlson continued to listen as Gaetz once again blamed the DOJ for running a smear campaign against him. "Providing for flights and hotel rooms for people that you’re dating who are of legal age is not a crime. And I’m just troubled that lack of any sort of legitimate investigation into me… would then convert into this extortion attempt.” Carlson then said, “I don’t remember the woman you are speaking of or the context at all, honestly.” 

'I am a well-known, outspoken conservative'

Declining the claims that he ever had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old, Gaetz simply said "the person doesn't exist". He also demanded the tapes of McGee's investigation to be released by the FBI and DOJ saying that they will prove that he's innocent. "The whole concept of sex charges against me was really just a way to try to bleed my family out of money and probably smear my name because I am a well-known, outspoken conservative, and I guess that’s out of style in a lot of parts of the country right now," he added. 

Twitter users say Tucker Carlson could be questioned in the case against Matt Gaetz

"Imagine being Tucker Carlson and deciding on a whim to interview Matt Gaetz for the clicks, and he ends up implicating you in such a way that you end up as a witness in the child trafficking investigation," commentator David Pakman wrote. "So tonight the big question is whether Gaetz brought a 17 year-old or 18 year-old to dinner with Tucker Carlson and his wife. Woah boy," American activist Amy Siskind wrote.

In another tweet, Siskind wrote, "Seems like the FBI is going to need to speak with Tucker Carlson too now. womp womp." Journalist Alisha Grauso tweeted, "Still trying to wrap my head around the fact that in just 2 hours, Matt Gaetz exposed an FBI investigation, blew his dad's cover, dropped what could be self-incriminating info for a DIFFERENT investigation on national TV, then made Tucker Carlson a potential witness."