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Newt Gingrich Doesn't Hold Back Against 8 Republicans Who Voted to Oust McCarthy

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  October 04, 2023 9:00 AM

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) had considerably strong words when reacting to the news on Tuesday night of Kevin McCarthy being ousted as Speaker of the House. His remarks came while speaking to Fox News' Sean Hannity, during which he called the eight Republican members who voted to oust McCarthy "traitors" and said all of them "should in fact be primaried" and "be driven out of public life."

Gingrich also made very similar points to what McCarthy himself made during a Tuesday night press conference, not long after the move to vacate the chair took place. For instance, he emphasized how just 4 percent of the Republican caucus joined with Democrats to oust McCarthy. 

"What they did was to go to the other team to cause total chaos. We ought to be focusing on Biden, we ought to be focusing on the economy, we ought to be focusing on the border," Gingrich lamented. "Instead, you're going to get a week or 10 days of the media focusing on Republican disarray." 

As Matt covered on Tuesday night, many stories that provided bad press to Democrats and/or President Joe Biden were buried as a result of the chaos. There was good news for Republicans as well thought ought to have received more widespread attention, such as how a Gallup poll showed voters trust Republicans more on the economy.

"It's an astonishingly destructive behavior by a handful of egocentric people who think they're superior to 96 percent of the conference," Gingrich went on to emphasize.

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Gingrich reminded early on in the remarks in question that he's been "a longtime Republican activist." He became Speaker of the House following the 1994 midterm elections, when Republicans gained 52 seats in the House. They even gained 8 seats in the Senate. Gingrich was rewarded with the speakership after laying out the Republican promises in "Contract with America."

While the conditions were favorable in 2022, similarly to how they were in 1994, Republicans had a more disappointing finish last November, as the red wave never materialized, and the Republican majority in the House was slimmer than expected. House Republicans put out their own "Commitment to America" in late September 2022, but it might have been too little too late, and Democrats were able to get the upper hand in responding after it was leaked ahead of time.

Gingrich resigned as speaker in November 1998 after the poor showing in the midterms, and from the House all together in January 1999, though he remained active in Republican politics and ran for president in 2012. 

During his own remarks on Tuesday night, McCarthy suggested he might help those who primary the eight members, especially now that he is "a free agent." When taking questions, McCarthy pointed out that "a lot of them I helped them get elected so I should have picked somebody else" when it comes to those eight. 

He made particularly noteworthy comments about Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) who made the motion to vacate the chair on Monday night, with Tuesday's vote coming within the required two days after a motion to table had failed. 

"Look, you will know Matt Gaetz, you know it was personal. That had nothing to do about had nothing to do about everything he accused somebody of he was doing. It all was about getting attention from you. I mean we're getting email fundraisers from him as he's doing it, join in quickly. That's not becoming of a member of Congress. And regardless of what you think, I've seen the texts it was all about his ethics," McCarthy said, referring to a probe against the Florida congressman.

"I have not heard him say one thing that is true," McCarthy also said about Gaetz. 

There's been increased chatter about how the chamber may move to act against Gaetz, perhaps even with expulsion. 

The eight members who joined all of the Democrats to oust McCarthy included Gatez, as well as Reps. Andy Biggs and Eli Crane of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Bob Good of Virginia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Matt Rosendale of Montana. Rosendale's move may hurt him if he does go through with running against Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) for 2024 like he did in 2018. It was also revealed that Rosendale said he prayed for a slim majority.

"Newt" was one of the many trends over X on late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning to do with McCarthy's ousting as well as reactions to the historic move. Some even floated his name, since the Speaker of the House does not actually have to be a member of the House or even of Congress.