'Quite the excuse': MAGA Republican sparks outrage with wild claim on CNN

A MAGA lawmaker sparked outrage after he made a wild claim about the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela during an interview on CNN.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), who is known as one of Trump's close allies in Congress, told CNN's Boris Sanchez on Tuesday that the Trump administration bears no responsibility to account for the more than 150 people recently deported to Venezuela who are now missing because the hotel they were staying in collapsed. The deportation flight landed in Venezuela about 24 hours before the earthquakes began, according to reports.

"It's just an act of God," Gimenez said.

That comment didn't sit well with many political analysts and observers, who shared their reactions on social media.

"Quite the excuse," Martina Navratilova, a former professional tennis champion, posted on X.

John Jackson, a military veteran and political critic, posted on X that Gimenez had "betrayed the American and Venezuelan people, always blindly following Trump into corrupt foreign policy disasters."

"The conservative Christian position here is that God wanted the people Republicans kicked out of our country—for no good reason—to die," Hemant Mehta, a former "Jeopardy!" champion, posted on X.

"Carlos should be concerned about that last name of his that he's toting around in Trump's America," Russ DiBello, an actor and political critic, posted on Bluesky.