Matt Gaetz ended up sleeping in a Walmart parking lot after potentially exposing Trump to coronavirus
- Rep. Matt Gaetz whirlwind of a day after learning he was exposed to the coronavirus ended in a Walmart parking lot, according to the Pensacola News Journal.
- Initially skeptical of the virus - going so far as to wear a gas mask on the House floor - the Florida congressman was forced to self-quarantine aboard Air Force One after sitting next to President Donald Trump on the ride over.
- Aboard the plane, Gaetz learned he had posed for a photo with someone who later tested positive for COVID-19.
- To take maximum precautions, Gaetz reportedly slept in a Walmart parking lot "somewhere off [Interstate] 85" on his way driving back to Florida from Washington, D.C.
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When he was sporting a gas mask on the House floor last week, critics questioned how seriously he was taking the coronavirus outbreak.
But after having to self-quarantine aboard Air Force One on Monday after being in close contact with President Donald Trump - in the same car on the way to the flight - Gaetz hit the road and, as a responsible self-quarantinee, skipped staying in a hotel and elected to spend the night in a Walmart Parking lot instead.
"I slept in a Walmart parking lot somewhere off [Interstate] 85," Gaetz told the Pensacola News Journal from his car as he completed the drive to Florida on Tuesday.
Gaetz has told reporters that he plans to spend the remainder of his 14 day self-quarantine back home in Okaloosa, Fla.
The Florida congressman's exposure came from posing for a photo at the CPAC forum with someone who later tested positive for COVID-19.
In his interview with the regional paper, Gaetz said lawmakers should take precautions given how much they interact with the public on a day-to-day basis.
He also reflected on the gas mask stunt.
"I wasn't making light of the situation," Gaetz told the News Journal. "I only wish I had worn the gas mask at CPAC."