Matt Gaetz Boasts on MSNBC New House Rules Supported By AOC and Other ‘Populists on the Left’

Hardliner GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) joined MSNBC’s Ari Melber on Monday to discuss a variety of issues resulting from the battle to elect Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) House speaker – an effort Gaetz initially opposed. The at-times tense interview featured a rare moment, in which a hard-right Republican embraced Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) as Gaetz boasted of her support for the new House rules package he fought for.

“Been a little while. So people have seen you there. We look at the new rules. First question, what do you think you or the Republican caucus are now achieving under these new rules?” began Melber after welcoming Gaetz to the show.

“These new rules will last long past my time in Congress or Kevin McCarthy’s as speaker, and they democratize the process so that individual members can offer amendments, can target spending for reductions,” Gaetz said, adding:

It was even Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that went on Alex Wagner’s program during this balloting and said that a lot of the things that we were fighting for as conservative populists were supported by populists on the left because it didn’t concentrate so much power in the hands of the speaker and the leadership. I think that will vindicate the service of all 435 members.

“Let’s take a look at some of the rules. As you mentioned, a single member, instead of a larger group, can force a kind of ‘no confidence’ vote, a longer time to read the bills, others up on the screen. Thus far, do you feel that McCarthy is following all of this? And do you expect there to be a potential ‘no confidence’ vote in his tenure or that’s probably off the table now?” asked Melber.

“I don’t expect it, though, of course, it is good for the health of the institution for any speaker to know that one member could call for a vote on their reign in power. I’m particularly pleased that Kevin McCarthy has been meeting his commitments on policy, on procedure, and on personnel,” Gaetz replied, adding:

We’ve got a number of great conservatives now on the Rules Committee and on the Appropriations Committee that wouldn’t have had that opportunity, but for this temporary clash at the beginning of the year, I think we’re a stronger team now going forward. And I think we’ve given Kevin McCarthy every reason to be the very best version of himself.

Watch the full clip above via MSNBC