Gaetz calls McCarthy ‘saboteur’ to weekslong impasse for House speakership

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) blamed former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for sabotaging the candidacies of Reps. Steve Scalise (R-LA), Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Tom Emmer (R-MN).

Gaetz initiated the motion to vacate McCarthy in early October and succeeded in ousting the California congressman with the help of seven GOP members on Oct. 3.

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Once the House became leaderless, it triggered multiple campaigns for the next House speaker until Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) won the election on Wednesday.

“Mark Molinaro, a congressman from New York, made a unanimous consent request to poll the body on whether or not Mike Johnson would be an acceptable option, and you know who objected? Kevin McCarthy,” Gaetz said. “Because at that point, he hadn’t figured out a way yet how to scuttle Mike Johnson the way he scuttled Tom Emmer and Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan before.”

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Scalise, Jordan, and Emmer had won internal votes but failed to win support from the House floor. Scalise made the decision to end his bid before 112 GOP lawmakers voted to remove Jordan as party nominee. Emmer also chose to drop out after only being a GOP nominee for a few hours.

“Mike Johnson doesn’t answer to the lobbyists in the special interests. He answers to God and the Constitution,” Gaetz concluded in welcoming Johnson’s ascendance.