Kinzinger first GOP lawmaker to say 'Matt Gaetz needs to resign'

Four days ago congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said he was "absolutely not resigning" amid allegations of sex trafficking and having sex with a teenager. But now even his own party is asking him to quit – or at least one lawmaker, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill), who tweeted last night: "Matt Gaetz needs to resign."

The tweet linked to a Daily Beast article accusing Gaetz of Venmo'ing $900 to an accused sex trafficker ally, who turned around and sent the money to teenage girls.

Gaetz responded to Kinzinger's tweet with, "Fucking bring it."

From The Hill:

Both Kinzinger and Gaetz have shared a contentious and, at times, heated relationship over the past year. 

In early February, Kinzinger told The Washington Post that he had a "huge list" of GOP lawmakers he would like to see challenged for perpetuating unsupported theories surrounding the 2020 election. In particular, Kinzinger took aim at Gaetz and Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), another ardent Trump supporter, accusing them of prioritizing fame over legislating. 

"Oh, there's a huge list. … I mean, look, all you have to do is see people like, of course, Marjorie Taylor Greene. You look at people like Matt Gaetz, who know better. I think neither of them believes the stuff they ascribe to, they just want fame," he said at the time. 

Image by Hudson Institute, CC BY 2.0