Ex-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Calls Nemesis Rep. Matt Gaetz ‘The Hunter Biden Of The Republican Party,’ Supports Primary Challenger

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he is backing the former naval pilot Aaron Dimmock as a primary opponent against his nemesis, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida).

Gaetz is one of the eight Republicans responsible for his being ousted as House speaker. 

“Gaetz is the Hunter Biden of the Republican Party,” the ex-House Speaker stated during an interview with Politico. “He’s got an opponent who is pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, trained at Pensacola, went to the Naval Academy and flew jets to defend us while Gaetz was getting kicked out of high school, buying coke and paying minors for sex.”

McCarthy was speaking about the House Ethics Committee investigation, which began in 2021, over allegation the Florida representative had breached sex trafficking laws and had relations with a 17-year-old girl.

Gaetz replied to McCarthy’s support of the ex-naval aviator on the platform X.

“Kevin McCarthy, who quit Congress, has recruited Missouri-Based @aaronwdimmock to run against me,” he wrote in an X post.

In the post, Gaetz also quoted a portion of the interview in which McCarthy stated that” ‘Dimmock voiced support for diversity and the Black Lives Matter movement.'”

“Who thinks Kev and DEI Dimmock should campaign together in Northwest Florida?” the representative asked.

“I sure do,” he stated.

In a statement, Gaetz stated that he would not take “behavior advice” from McCarthy, noting the groundless rumors that the former House speaker had an affair with another House member. 

Dimmock had filed to run as a Republican in Gaetz’s district in April for the August 20 primary, thereby making him the representative’s only challenger to the incumbent. 

The former naval pilot had been a last-minute entry as a Republican primary challenger to Gaetz, filing hours before the deadline two weeks ago. 

Dimmock’s campaign committee treasurer is also the treasurer for the American Patriots PAC, which McCarthy created in 2022. 

McCarthy had also confessed that he “played a role” in recruiting Dimmock.

During an interview with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade in April, McCarthy lauded GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) for being a “very serious legislator” despite her remarks about replacing House Speaker Mike Johnson.