Former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson says Matt Gaetz once came on to her by touching her chin with his thumb and calling her a 'national treasure'

• Cassidy Hutchinson says in her new book that Matt Gaetz once came on to her.
• Hutchinson claimed Gaetz once stroked her chin while calling her a "national treasure."

Former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson has accused Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida of coming on to her by stroking her chin and making an inappropriate comment.

Hutchinson made an appearance on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show on Monday night, where she promoted her upcoming memoir, "Enough."

Hutchinson was a staffer for Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows from March 2020 to January 2021. She was propelled into the spotlight after she testified in June 2022 before the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot.

Maddow read out an excerpt from Hutchinson's book on-air, which included a passage on an encounter the former staffer says she once had with Gaetz, a now-married Florida congressman.

"He chuckled and brushed his thumb across my chin, 'Has anyone ever told you you're a national treasure?'" Hutchinson wrote of one such encounter with Gaetz, per the excerpt Maddow read.

Maddow also quoted on-air another excerpt, where Hutchinson describes a separate incident concerning Gaetz. This incident, Hutchinson wrote, took place at Camp David, when Gaetz showed up at her cabin door. Hutchinson was speaking to Rep. Kevin McCarthy at the time, per her account.

"He explained that he was lost and asked me to escort him to his cabin," Hutchinson wrote of Gaetz. "I told him to proceed around the circle drive. All the cabins are clearly marked, it's impossible to get lost. He asked me one more time to leave with him."

"Kevin McCarthy then said, 'Get a life, Matt,' and shut the door," the excerpt continued.

The excerpts did not specify when exactly these incidents took place. Insider was not able to independently verify the details of both incidents.

Gaetz said in a statement to Insider that he doesn't "remember either of these events and based on Cassidy's prior false statements, I doubt they occurred."

Gaetz said as well that he dated Hutchinson "for a few weeks when we were both single years ago," but that they "parted amicably and remained friends thereafter."

"It is sad to see Cassidy dishonestly turn against so many people who cared about her for fame and book sales," Gaetz said in his statement.

Hutchinson, however, told Maddow that she has never dated Matt Gaetz.

"Matt Gaetz, in my opinion, is somebody that I personally do not hold in high regard in terms of trust, and I do not think that Matt Gaetz has the best track record for relationships," Hutchinson said.

"I will say, on behalf of myself, I never dated Matt Gaetz. I have much higher standards in men, and Matt, frankly, is a very unserious politician," she continued.

Representatives for Hutchinson and McCarthy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.