Staff Reports
In an amazing turn of events, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida has managed to become less friendly with his fellow Republicans in the state's congressional caucus. Kevin McCarthy was removed from his job as House Speaker because Gaetz pushed a vote, which has not been well received.
Matt Gaetz is low on friends in Florida: ‘I’m not one of them’ https://t.co/bgaWRsU6QW
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) October 5, 2023
As the delegation left the lower house, they were angry at Gaetz and called him "selfish" and "divisive" at a time when the Republican Party needed unity the most. The controversial move Gaetz made seems to have put him at odds with his coworkers. Rep. Carlos Gimenez said, "Gaetz has very few friends in the conference." Gaetz might have a few friends in the group. I'm not one of them, though."
McCarthy was removed by Gaetz, who filed a motion for him to "vacate the chair," which led to a vote. Together with a few other Republicans and Democrats, Gaetz was able to get the votes he needed. His coworkers are now wondering why he did what he did and what his goals are.
Some people have said that Gaetz is more interested in getting media notice and coverage than in helping the Republican Party. "He's about clicks," Rep. Gimenez said. He's interested in how many cameras he can face. These comments make it sound like Gaetz did what he did because he wanted to get something for himself, not because he cared about the party's direction or ideals.
Others in the group have said they don't like how McCarthy was fired so soon after getting a bipartisan continuing resolution passed to keep the government open. Rep. Michael Waltz was worried that the controversy over Gaetz's actions was making people forget about important things like passing appropriations bills, dealing with the border problem, and fighting inflation.
Overall, it looks like Gaetz's choice to fire McCarthy as speaker has not only made things harder between him and his fellow Republicans, but it has also made people wonder what his real reasons were. People like Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise are running for speaker, which is making the race for speaker more competitive. However, Gaetz is still unpopular in his own caucus.
