Michaels Reynolds/Pool via AP
- US Rep. Matt Gaetz spoke at a Halloween campaign rally for Congressional candidate Anthony Sabatini.
- Large amounts of chemicals found in one of the explosives Gaetz referenced can cause an explosion.
- C4, which Gaetz also mentioned, is an explosive used in military combat units for demolition.
At a Halloween campaign rally for Congressional candidate and Florida state Rep. Anthony Sabatini, US Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., complained about metal detectors in the House of Representatives and joked about blowing them up with explosives, a remark which made attendees laugh and clap.
Gaetz falsely claimed the metal detectors, which were installed after pro-Trump rioters breached the Capitol on January 6, were implemented because of Boebert, who he said carries a firearm for her personal protection. Boebert was not present at the rally and has not formally endorsed Sabatini, according to his campaign website.
-Sabatini beta male (@patriottakes) October 31, 2021
“They got triggered by that. I said, ‘Is it tannerite or C4 we want to put in those metal detectors when we blow them up?'” Gaetz said at the rally.
Tannerite is an explosive made from ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder meant for use as binary exploding rifle targets, a type of explosive consisting of two components, neither of which is explosive by itself and have to be combined in order to become explosive, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
However, according to a proposed New York bill that would regulate its sale, use, and storage, combining large amounts of the chemicals can result in a “powerful and dangerous explosion.”
C4 is a plastic explosive substance used in military combat units for demolition, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
-Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) October 31, 2021
Following the rally, both Gaetz and Boebert reiterated their statements about the explosives on their Twitter accounts, which were then retweeted by Sabatini.
After people began tagging the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the comments, Boebert sent out a follow-up tweet.
“To the fools who think this would be done inside the Capitol: get a life! The metal detectors are useless and we are getting rid of them when Republicans take back the House,” Boebert said.
Insider has reached out to Gaetz, Boebert, and Sabatini for comment.
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