Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz to speak at a Trump club event in West Palm Beach
Former President Donald Trump and one of his top allies, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, are expected to speak Wednesday at an event in West Palm Beach, just a few miles from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago.
The event will be held at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, presented by Club 47 USA, a club of Trump supporters. The timing is noteworthy: It comes a week after Gaetz, the Republican from Florida, set in motion the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, by arranging a vote through a “motion to vacate.” Among the grievances against McCarthy, leading up to his ouster, was his recent move to work with Democrats to prevent a shutdown and keep the federal government open.
Wednesday’s event in West Palm Beach is scheduled to start about 6 p.m., with many eventgoers expected. Its eventbrite.com listing shows it as “sold-out.” West Palm Beach Police Department spokesman Mike Jachles said the agency “was asked by the Secret Service to provide support” but could not provide details.
Club 45 USA was created in 2018 as a fan club for President Trump, the 45th president, and get ready for the 2020 election. It’s now been renamed Club 47 USA, to reflect efforts to get him reelected as the 47th president.
“We are PROUD to be ‘ULTRA-MAGA,'” the club website reads, referring to Trump as a “billionaire presidential candidate.”
On Friday, Trump endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio to succeed McCarthy as House speaker, he wrote on his Truth Social site.
Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on X, formerly Twitter, @LisaHuriash