Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy & Rep. Matt Gaetz Get Into A Heated Confrontation At RNC

A heated feud between former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) erupted once again on the floor of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday evening. 

The two longtime political rivals argued tensely as Gaetz repeatedly taunted his former colleague.

As McCarthy conversed with other individuals, Gaetz approached him to repeatedly tap his shoulder and inquired about McCarthy’s speaking slot at the convention. Despite attempts to shoo Gaetz away, the congressman persisted and warned McCarthy that he would be “booed off the stage” if he took the podium.

As Gaetz walked away, another individual on the convention floor could be heard telling him to “shut up” and not “be a–hole.”

In a subsequent interview, McCarthy addressed the confrontation and stated that Gaetz’s behavior “shows exactly who Matt Gaetz is.” When asked whether he believed he would be booed off the stage, McCarthy firmly said, “Not at all.”

McCarthy went on to suggest that Gaetz’s actions stemmed from an ethics complaint filed against him four years ago, in which he was accused of paying an underage girl. According to McCarthy, Gaetz had attempted to leverage his support to stop the ethics probe, which the former House speaker deemed “illegal” and refused to comply.

The House Ethics Committee is reviewing allegations of misconduct against Gaetz, who has denied wrongdoing.

When asked whether the Republican Party is more aligned with him or Gaetz, McCarthy expressed his hope that there would not be “another Matt Gaetz in the Republican Party” and added, “Look, everybody has different people in their party. Unfortunately, Matt happens to be here. At the end of the day, he probably shouldn’t be on the streets.”