SHOCKING UPDATE: Matt Gaetz Moves To Oust McCarthy Before House GOP Can Oust Him

UPDATE 10/04/23 In a surprising twist, Matt Gaetz has succeeded in unseating Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Gaetz moved to remove McCarthy

Tristan Green

Oct 3, 2023

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UPDATE 10/04/23

In a surprising twist, Matt Gaetz has succeeded in unseating Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Gaetz moved to remove McCarthy from the leadership position on Monday. And on Tuesday, all Democrats and eight Republicans voted to remove the short-ruling Speaker. Gaetz has denied that his motion was retribution for the GOP’s Ethics Committee probe into his past behavior. Now, the House will return from a brief hiatus and start the scramble for a Speaker all over again. Interim Speaker Patrick McHenry, a McCarthy ally, will hold the position for now.

ORIGINAL STORY CONTINUES BELOW:

In an unsurprising twist, Representative Matt Gaetz has moved to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his position of power in the House. The move comes as moderate Republicans sour on Gaetz. And have talked about ousting him pending the results of a House Ethics Committee probe into Gaetz’s past behavior.

The decision for Gaetz to turn on McCarthy in a formal manner is no surprise. But it does highlight the growing rift between moderate Republicans and the MAGA faction in the House. And could signal a looming protracted fight for the soul of the GOP.

House Republicans Looking To Oust Matt Gaetz

A year ago, Rep Matt Gaetz was quickly working his way up through the GOP in the House. With the rubber stamp of former President Donald Trump, he was the natural new face of the GOP. But a rift started to develop between the MAGA Republicans, like Gaetz, and the rest of the House GOP as they split over support for Trump in the upcoming election.

And now, that rift has widened into a void. According to people close to the situation, House GOPers are looking to “oust” Gaetz. An anonymous House Republican told Fox News Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, “No one can stand him at this point.” They called Gaetz “a smart guy without morals.” Capitalizing on his position as a maverick and rabble-rouser, Gaetz took to X to share an edited version of a John Wick poster with dozens of guns pointed at his head.

And the GOP may lean on an Ethics Committee report to achieve their goal. Gaetz has been under fire for his alleged involvement with a Florida tax collector named Joel Greenberg. Greenberg is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence for sex trafficking of a minor, identity theft, stalking, wire fraud, and conspiracy to bribe a public official. During his testimony, and as part of a plea deal, Greenberg supposedly pointed the finger at Gaetz as an accomplice to some of his crimes.

Heinrich says that GOP members in the House are preparing to launch an offensive against Gaetz. This could potentially see him unseated from his place on the Armed Forces and Judiciary Committees. And the consequences could be even farther-reaching than that. It all boils down to what the upcoming Ethics Committee report says about Gaetz and his alleged involvement with Greenberg’s crimes.

So Matt Gaetz Moves To Oust Kevin McCarthy First

That’s why it’s not surprising to hear that Matt Gaetz has launched the first offensive. The young Representative officially moved Monday to remove McCarthy from his Speakership. Gaetz offered a motion to vacate the chair on the House floor. It’s a rare procedural move that can be used to force a vote to remove McCarthy.

In order for his effort to succeed a majority of Representatives would need to vote with Gaetz. It seems like an unlikely scenario, the way things currently stand. While McCarthy is far from the most popular Speaker of our time, he’s holding the GOP together with duct tape and string. If McCarthy were to be unseated, another scrap for the Speakership would ensue. And that could cripple the House’s ability to govern for an indeterminate amount of time.

The only way Matt Gaetz can succeed currently is to convince enough moderate Republicans and Democrats to go along with him. This requires him to front a moderate and agreeable replacement. On the flip side, Kevin McCarthy holds his position by a hair; meaning he also needs Democrat support to retain his seat. It’s a no-win scenario that could slog the House in procedures and votes for weeks, leaving the Government vulnerable right as a temporary stopgap bill is due to expire in just over 40 days.

After Gaetz filed the motion, McCarthy posted online, “Bring it on.” Gaetz replied, “Just did.”