Gaetz, Who Led Effort to Oust Speaker McCarthy, Says He’s ‘Just Not Ready to Support’ Greene’s Motion to Vacate

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who led the effort to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the House speakership, says he’s “just not ready to support” a new motion to vacate filed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).

Greene filed the motion to vacate Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) Friday in the midst of the House vote on a $1.2 trillion spending bill.

“I’m not going to question her decision, I’m just not ready to support a motion to vacate,” Gaetz said, according to Politico’s Olivia Beavers.

Johnson was elected to replace McCarthy in October 2023 after failed votes for other candidates, including Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA).

Gaetz told reporters he fears the House would end up with a Democrat as speaker this time around:

If we vacated this speaker, we’d end up with a Democrat. When I vacated the last one, I made a promise to the country that we would not end up with the Democrat speaker. And I was right. I couldn’t make that promise again.

We’d have Republicans cross over. I worry that we’ve got Republicans who would vote for Hakeem Jeffries at this point. I really do. I take no joy in saying that. But you can only vacate the speaker if you know that the party leadership won’t change hands. I knew that with certainty last time. I don’t know it with certainty this time.

Greene said her motion to vacate was a “warning” to Johnson. She told reporters:

I do not wish to inflict pain on our conference and throw the House in chaos. But this is basically a warning and it’s time for us to go through the process, take our time, and find a new speaker of the House that will stand with Republicans and our Republican majority instead of standing with the Democrats.