Another day, another episode of “This is Why Republicans Can’t Have Nice Things.”
Reports have surfaced that House Republicans are seeking to expel Representative Matt Gaetz as the Florida congressman’s war of words with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has raged on in recent days.
One member of the House reportedly told Fox News over the weekend that an ethics committee report has been “mostly written” and that, should it find instances of guilt, would be used to expel Gaetz.
“No one can stand him at this point,” the source said. “A smart guy without morals.”
CNN confirmed the effort to oust Gaetz with one Republican lawmaker saying, “We want him out.”
The news comes as Gaetz has openly threatened to make a motion to vacate the speaker’s office.
War Between Gaetz And McCarthy Cranks Up A Notch
An ethics committee investigation was opened against Gaetz by the Democrat-controlled House originally in 2021 amongst allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.
Despite the Justice Department deciding not to bring charges, investigators from the House Ethics Committee revived the probe in July of this year.
In an interview with Jake Tapper, the Florida congressman denied any personal animus toward McCarthy, but diverted after the CNN host said he had “seen personal communications between you and other people in which you blame McCarthy for your ethics investigation.”
McCarthy (R-CA) had suggested Gaetz was seeking to have him intervene in the ethics investigation, something the MAGA Rep said was “him gaslighting.”
Gaetz told Tapper that he intended to file a motion to vacate the speakership this week.
“If Kevin McCarthy is still the speaker of the House, he will be serving at the pleasure of the Democrats,” said Gaetz. “He will be working for the Democrats.”
“The only way Kevin McCarthy is speaker of the House at the end of this coming week is if Democrats bail him out now, they probably will,” he added.
McCarthy Appears To Be Unfazed
Prior to Gaetz’s suggestion that he would move to vacate McCarthy from the role of Speaker, the House GOP leader had repeatedly shrugged off concerns, confident that he would repel the threat.
Hide ads now
“If you think you scare me because you want to file a motion to vacate, move the f***ing motion,” an irate McCarthy said weeks prior.
After the CNN interview where Gaetz warned he’d be acting upon the threat, McCarthy dismissed him: “I’ll survive.”
Axios, amidst reports that House Republicans were planning to use the Ethics Committee investigation to possibly expel Gaetx, pointed out that McCarthy was planning an “aggressive counter” to his colleague’s public spat with him.
And therein lies the problem. Whatever you might think of Gaetz’s antics, you would never see Democrats pursue an ethics investigation into one of their own while in power, and you certainly wouldn’t hear about them trying to expel that person.
Does anybody remember when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) publicly opposed Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as Speaker? What happened? They met behind closed doors, and wouldn’t you know it, Ocasio-Cortez emerged in support and eventually voted for her without question.
Democrats don’t eat their own. That’s why only the Republican party loses on a consistent basis.
This, by contrast, is pathetic. If McCarthy is confident he’ll survive the motion, go ahead and let Gaetz move it forward. If it fails, he ends up looking like a fool.
Instead, we’re going to look at expelling him. Show of hands – In today’s GOP-controlled House, who do you feel is more likely to be expelled – Matt Gaetz or insurrectionist Jamaal Bowman?
Exactly right – gun to your head, you’d have to guess Gaetz. And that’s the freaking problem.
Former President Donald Trump refused to take sides in the McCarthy-Gaetz war, but emphasized his relationship with the Speaker.
“I don’t know anything about those efforts, but I like both of them very much,” he told reporters in Iowa. “I think it’s too early [to comment], it just happened a little while ago. I’ve always had a great relationship with [McCarthy], he said very nice things about me and the job I’ve done, so I appreciate that.”
Does saying nice things trump, pardon the pun, a guy who helped President Joe Biden raise the debt limit, supports endless funding of Ukraine, and tries to get MAGA reps he doesn’t like ousted from Congress?
You may recall that McCarthy, according to a Washington Post report last year, “worked” previously “to deny [former Representative Madison] Cawthorn a second term in office,” saying he had “lost my trust.”
The Post wrote that McCarthy and his political machine were working to “systematically weed out GOP candidates” they felt might give him “trouble” as House Speaker.
It looks like that machine is still working overtime.
