Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy blamed the House of Representatives’ “disarray” in an appearance on “MediaBuzz,” Sunday, after they passed a foreign aid bill with Democrats’ unique support.
While referring to the current GOP infighting taking the form of attempting to oust Speaker Mike Johnson mere months following McCarthy’s own ousting, the former speaker warned that what Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., started has broken the Republican majority.
KEVIN MCCARTHY: I think they’re in disarray, but it stems from those eight [Republicans] working with all the Democrats. If there’s no consequence… The Gaetz eight. But they work with all the Democrats to decide who could be speaker; and since then, what has transpired? So the conference is broken because they never dealt with those eight, and until they do, it would stay broken. But to Marjorie [Taylor Greene’s] point is, Marjorie didn’t do what Matt Gaetz did. She didn’t make this privilege. She’s making it an issue for a debate. Now, I think they should keep it internal. They should have their discussion. Look, being speaker is not easy. Otherwise, maybe I’d still be there.
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What Matt Gaetz did has broken the Republican majority. He’s now created “Lord of the Flies.” Ask anybody inside our conference; they actually know it.
TENSIONS ERUPT ON HOUSE FLOOR AS CONSERVATIVES CONFRONT JOHNSON ON $95B FOREIGN AID PLAN
Tensions flared in the House of Representatives on Thursday when a group of conservatives confronted Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., over his foreign aid plan, leading to another Republican trading barbs with the group of rebels.
A group of lawmakers that included Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.; Lauren Boebert, R-Colo.; Tim Burchett, R-Tenn.; and others could be seen huddled with Johnson on the House floor after morning votes.
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The discussion appeared to be interrupted a short while later when Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., confronted the group, and wound up in a particularly heated back-and-forth with Gaetz. Van Orden later told Fox News Digital that he called Gaetz “tubby” and dared the GOP rebels to trigger a vote for Johnson’s ouster — a threat he’s facing from Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who were not in the group.
Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.