‘Political D-Lister’: Pro-McCarthy Nancy Mace slings mud at Matt Gaetz
Virginia Aabram
Video Embed
Republicans are slinging mud at each other as factions try to sway support to or from Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), with pro-McCarthy Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) calling anti-McCarthy detractor Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) a “political D-Lister.”
Other corners of the GOP have also voiced frustration with the 20 GOP lawmakers keeping McCarthy from becoming speaker of the House. The party is deadlocked after McCarthy couldn’t reach the 218 votes needed to win the gavel in three ballot votes Tuesday, delaying when the 118th Congress can begin to conduct business.
EYES ON THE PRIZE: FIVE THINGS TO WATCH FOR TODAY AS HOUSE SPEAKER CHAOS CONTINUES
“[Matt Gaetz’s] full ego was on display today. He’s going to screw around and get another Pelosi elected Speaker. I’ll have a lot more to say about this political D-Lister tomorrow,” Mace, a centrist, tweeted Tuesday night.
McCarthy’s allies have blasted their dissenting colleagues for throwing a wrench in the election.
“If you’re a narcissist and you believe that your opinion is so much more important than everyone else’s, then you’ll keep going, and you’ll threaten to tear down the team for the benefit of the Democrats,” Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) told reporters Wednesday morning.
In a Republican conference meeting Tuesday morning before voting began, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) said the “Never Kevin” faction should be barred from serving on committees.
Gaetz is one of McCarthy’s most adamant foes and one of the more prominent members in the group of conservative hard-liners keeping McCarthy out of the top spot. The opposition coalesced around Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) as an alternative to McCarthy on the second round of voting Tuesday, despite Jordan giving a nominating speech and voting for McCarthy. In a floor speech nominating Jordan, Gaetz accused McCarthy of corruption.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“Maybe the right person for speaker of the House isn’t someone who wants it so bad,” Gaetz said. “Maybe the right person for the job of speaker of the House isn’t someone who has sold shares of themself for more than a decade to get it.”
Barring a motion to adjourn, the House will reconvene at noon Wednesday to continue voting, and it remains to be seen if negotiations during the night and morning will change the tally. McCarthy said he has no plans to back down.