McCarthy Flames Gaetz Amid Gaza Violence: ‘If We Had Listened to Matt Gaetz, We Would Be In a Government Shutdown Right Now’
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) ripped Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) less than a week after the latter led a revolt that resulted in McCarthy’s ouster as speaker.
Gaetz filed a motion to vacate the chair just days after McCarthy brokered a deal to avert a government shutdown at the end of September. More Democrats voted for the short-term spending deal than Republicans, which irked Gaetz, who accused McCarthy of breaching an agreement the two made in January when Gaetz dropped his opposition to his speakership bid. The House will convene and attempt to elect a new speaker this week.
The former speaker appeared on Monday’s edition of The Story on Fox News, as the Israeli military was conducting strikes in Gaza in response to the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas over the weekend.
“Obviously, it’s been a rough week in the House of Representatives,” host Martha MacCallum said. “Matt Gaetz is speaking out again saying that– wondering why you’re inserting yourself into this.”
She then aired a clip of Gaetz being interviewed on Meet the Press on Sunday, where the lawmaker addressed McCarthy’s comments about the uncertain state of the House during the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
“I don’t think that other countries think about Kevin McCarthy’s speakership quite as much as Kevin McCarthy does,” Gaetz said in response. “There’s no ask from Israel that we are unable to meet because it’s going to take us a few days to pick a new speaker.”
“This isn’t about the speakership,” McCarthy said. “I am still a member of Congress. I understand the relationship between America and Israel. I have dear friends in the leadership there and living there. And I’m not gonna sit back and do nothing. What I have found what’s going on, if we had listened to Matt Gaetz, we would be in a government shutdown right now. So, our own troops wouldn’t be paid. What strength would we have in the world then?”
Watch above via Fox News.
