A third California venue has nixed Matt Gaetz’ and Marjorie Taylor Greene’s ‘America First’ tour stop

• A third venue has canceled Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene’s “America First” event in California.
• A spokesperson for the city of Anaheim said the event venue decided to scrub the event over safety concerns.
• Last week a hotel declined to host the event and a convention center in Riverside canceled the event on Friday.
• See more stories on Insider’s business page.

A third event venue has canceled GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz’s “America First” tour stop in Southern California.

The Anaheim Event Center in Orange County on Saturday canceled its last-minute plan to host the Southern California tour stop, citing general security concerns, according to city spokesperson Mike Lyster.

While the venue is privately owned, Lyster said the decision with the venue’s owner was reached after the city expressed concerns over general public safety.

“We are a city that is known for hosting events, but our challenge is that today with our economy back open, we actually have several events throughout the city,” Lyster told Insider on Saturday. “Those require public safety attention and resources.

“This event layered on top of that would have strained resources,” he added. Now, of course, we would’ve handled that, but it would’ve come at a very significant expense to our city.”

The tour by two of the most polarizing members of Congress aims to attack Democrats and also Republicans who they believe aren’t loyal to former President Donald Trump. Gaetz has also been embroiled in controversy after reports surfaced in late March that the third-term congressman was under investigation for sex trafficking. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.

Lyster said the city learned of the plan to hold the “American First” event in Anaheim late Friday.

Lyster said the event would’ve required the city to work with the county sheriff’s office and with the neighboring police agencies to provide the needed security.

“All of that comes at a significant cost given all the other events we have going on in our city,” he said.

The tour stop had originally been planned for a hotel in Laguna Hills, but that hotel last week canceled the event when its management learned that the controversial Republican lawmakers were the featured speakers. The Riverside Convention Center in Riverside was selected as the new location for the event, but it on Friday backed out of the event following community backlash.

Representatives for the Anaheim Event Center, Gaetz, and Greene did not return Insider’s request for comment Saturday. It’s not clear whether the event will continue at another venue.

“Democrats are the party of hate,” Greene tweeted Saturday before the third venue canceled the event. “They organized to attack, threaten, & harass every venue we booked in CA to hold an America First rally, which celebrates our great country & freedoms. They think their vicious hate will stop me, but I never give up. See you at the rally tonight!