Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., crashed former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's interview at Republican National Convention Tuesday evening, taking jabs at McCarthy's ouster as speaker and a pending ethics complaint against Gaetz.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., made an unexpected appearance during former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's interview on CNN at the Republican National Convention Tuesday evening.
In a video clip, McCarthy was discussing his ouster as speaker when Gaetz leaned into the frame, mocking him.
Gaetz Interrupts McCarthy's CNN Interview, Mocking and Taunting Former Speaker
"What night are you speaking? Are you speaking tonight?" Gaetz taunted.
Unfazed, McCarthy continued to discuss the ethics complaint against Gaetz, alleging that he had previously tried to leverage McCarthy to stop the investigation.
Gaetz Interrupts McCarthy's CNN Interview, Mocking and Taunting Former Speaker
Gaetz retorted, "If you took that stage you would get booed off of it."
In a subsequent interview with NBC News Now, McCarthy expressed his disdain for Gaetz's actions.
Gaetz Interrupts McCarthy's CNN Interview, Mocking and Taunting Former Speaker
"I think it shows exactly who Matt Gaetz is," McCarthy said. "He had an ethics complaint four years ago that he paid an underage girl and she has come to [the House Ethics Committee]."
McCarthy further alleged that Gaetz attempted to bribe him to stop the ethics investigation.
Gaetz Interrupts McCarthy's CNN Interview, Mocking and Taunting Former Speaker
"He came to me to try to leverage me to stop the ethics investigation. That's illegal, I'm not doing that," McCarthy stated.
Gaetz and McCarthy have had a long-standing rivalry, with Gaetz playing a key role in McCarthy's removal as speaker.
In October 2021, Gaetz filed a "motion to vacate," accusing McCarthy of poor leadership and abandonment of conservative principles. The House voted in favor of the motion, marking the first time in U.S. history that a sitting speaker was removed.
McCarthy blamed Gaetz for fracturing the Republican majority and creating a "Lord of the Flies" atmosphere within the party.
In June 2023, the House Ethics Committee launched a further investigation into allegations against Gaetz, including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, and obstruction of investigations.
Gaetz has denied all allegations.
The confrontation between Gaetz and McCarthy at the Republican National Convention highlights the deep divisions within the party. Gaetz's brazen interruption and McCarthy's subsequent accusations illustrate the personal and political tensions that have plagued the Republican leadership. The ongoing ethics investigation against Gaetz further complicates the situation, casting a shadow over the party's future prospects.
