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Matt Gaetz says Trump is WRONG to endorse Kevin McCarthy for president as House GOP embarrassment enters day four: GOP leader frantically tries to make a deal to get the rebels on his side
- Gaetz said there are almost no concessions that could woo him.
- “Kevin McCarthy is the motto of the lobbying body,” the Florida Republican said of his reasoning.
- McCarthy, who has now failed to become Speaker of the House in 11 votes, made a number of important concessions.
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Conservative Rep. Matt Gaetz said on Fox News that Donald Trump is “wrong” to endorse Kevin McCarthy for speaker of the House and criticized the former president’s hiring practices.
Gaetz said there are almost no compromises that might entice him.
The Florida congressman who nominated Trump for president during Thursday’s unsuccessful vote said at Ingraham Angle on Thursday night: “I wouldn’t bet on my vote for Kevin McCarthy under almost any circumstances.”
McCarthy, who has now failed to become House speaker in 11 votes, made a series of big concessions to win over the 20 Republicans who voted against him Thursday night.
Rep. Matt Gaetz said there are almost no compromises that might entice him.
“Kevin McCarthy is the motto of the lobbying body,” the Florida Republican said of his reasoning.
“I resent the extent to which Kevin McCarthy uses lobbyists and special interests to be able to dictate how political decisions are made, how political decisions are made and how leadership decisions are made. Kevin McCarthy has been in leadership for 14 years. And he’s sold shares of himself to special interests, to political action committees, and so I don’t think he’s a suitable choice.
Gaetz went on to say that Trump is wrong to support McCarthy, but will still back his presidential bid.
“I think President Trump is wrong to the extent that he supports Kevin McCarthy. I will support President Trump when he runs in the 2024 election, but I will not endorse him on this play.”
“I love President Trump. I championed him a lot in Congress, but HR wasn’t always his strong suit,” Gaetz said. “President Trump got us people like Jeff Sessions, Bill Barr, Jim Mattis and Mark Esper, people who didn’t always promote an America First policy.”
“I think President Trump is wrong to the extent that he supports Kevin McCarthy. I will support President Trump when he runs in the 2024 election, but I will not endorse him on this play.”
On Thursday, Gaetz nominated President Trump as a speaker. Asked by DailyMail.com if he really thought Trump was a good choice to hold the sledgehammer, Gaetz deadpanned: ‘Yes. That’s why I voted for him.
Asked what he wanted after a series of downvotes despite heavy concessions, Gaetz told reporters on Thursday: “Either Kevin McCarthy withdraws from the race or we put him in a straitjacket that he can’t evade.”
The House will begin voting again at 12:00 pm on Friday after the resisting Conservatives have had a chance to review the rules that McCarthy conceded overnight. They will participate in a mid-morning call on the Friday before the vote.
Republican leader McCarthy, who has now failed to become House speaker in 11 votes, made a series of big concessions to win over the 20 Republicans who voted against him Thursday night.
included, according to Roll Callthe ability for a single member to expel the speaker, instead of five that was in the original rules package, plus promised floor votes on a balanced budget, term limits, and appropriations amendments.
A previous dealer also promised that there would be a vote on border legislation.
McCarthy also agreed to allow more members of the conservative Freedom Caucus to sit on the House Rules Committee, which dictates which bills make it to the full House.
He also agreed that his leadership, the PAC, would stay out of safe primaries, allowing conservatives to challenge more moderate Republicans in red-light districts.