HOUSTON — Four days after a 19-year-old
Gen-Z for Change activist in Houston was body-shamed by Florida
Rep. Matt Gaetz on Twitter, she has raised more than $1.6 million for abortion access ... and counting.
The whole thing started when
Olivia Julianna got wind of "crude and sexist" comments made by the Republican congressman at a conference for conservative college students in Florida.
Editor's note: The video above originally aired on July 28. Juliana has since raised her goal to $2M.
"Why is it that the women with the least likelihood of getting pregnant are the ones most worried about having abortions?" Gaetz asked at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit "Nobody wants to impregnate you if you look like a thumb. These people are odious from the inside out. They’re like 5′ 2″, 350 pounds."
Juliana fired back on Twitter, where she has more than 272,000 followers, and made it crystal clear that you don't mess with this Texas teen.
“Its come to my attention that Matt Gaetz — alleged pedophile — has said that it’s always the ‘odious... 5’2 350 pound’ women that ‘nobody wants to impregnate’ who rally for abortion," she wrote. "I’m actually 5’11. 6’4 in heels. I wear them so the small men like you are reminded of your place."
Gaetz is under
federal investigation for sex trafficking, including trafficking underage girls. He has denied the allegations.
Gaetz responded with a screenshot of Julianna's profile picture with the caption "Dander raised," referring to a Newsmax headline that said his speech was "sure to raise dander of his opponents."
Julianna was just getting started. The teen, who describes herself as "loud and proud" and "Greg Abbott's arch enemy," went viral with
a TikTok video that has more than 2 million views.
That's when she decided to "turn hatred into healthcare."
"In honor of Matt Gaetz publicly body shaming me, I'll be fundraising for the @genzforchange abortion fund," Juliana announced on Twitter.
Gaetz raised her dander, and the dander of abortion rights supporters worldwide, helping Juliana raise more than $1 million in 72 hours.
As word spread, donations piled up quickly and everyone from Hillary Clinton to other members of Congress to celebrities, including Busy Phillips and George Takei, have expressed support.
At one point, "#MattGaetzIsTriggered" and #ThanksMattGaetz" were trending on Twitter.
In an interview on MSNBC, Julianna said Gaetz and other politicians who attack her are actually doing her a favor.
"By underestimating me and thinking that I won't be able to fire back as hard as I proved that I can, they are truly gifting me a national platform on a silver platter," she said.
Supporters are calling Juliana "brilliant," "a rock star," "inspiring," and "a hero." She hopes to one day be called president.
