‘House Is In a Lot Better Place’: Gaetz Appears to Concede McCarthy Will Win Speakership, NBC Reporter

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), one of the leaders of the anti-McCarthy GOP House rebels, sounded “like he is conceding that McCarthy will win” the speakership, reported NBC New Congressional reporter Julia Tsirkin on Friday.

McCarthy failed to secure the speakership on a thirteenth attempt on Friday afternoon, but did manage to flip 15 holdouts, putting him just mere votes from the finish line.

Tsirkin tweeted after the thirteenth vote, “GAETZ, who has been huddling with BOEBERT on the floor, sounds like he is conceding that McCarthy will win.”

“I think the House is in a lot better place with some of the work that’s been done to democratize power out of the speakership and that’s our goal,” she added, quoting Gaetz.

Soon after NBC reporter Ali Vitali told MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson that Gaetz may be one of the six holdouts McCarthy can convert.

“We are still playing the waiting game and we’re going to be doing that until 10:00 tonight,” Vitali reported, noting when the House will next reconvene.

“But look, McCarthy sounds confident and they’re just trying to figure out who they can pick off. It might based on some of the conversations our folks are having come from unexpected places. I don’t know. Gaetz is sounding open now, so everything is possible here in the House,” Vitali concluded.

Gaetz gave multiple speeches on the House floor nominating candidates for speaker to run against McCarthy. During those speeches, Gaetz slammed McCarthy as everything from a “squatter” in the speaker’s office to the Lebron James of special interest fundraising.

Watch the full clip above via MSNBC