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Gaetz Says Potentially Losing His House Seat for Ousting McCarthy Is ‘Absolutely’ Worth It

Madeline Leesman
Madeline Leesman  |  October 10, 2023 1:45 PM

In an interview on Sunday, Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz said “absolutely” worth it for him to lose his seat in Congress for spearheading the removal of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

Gaetz made the remarks in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” with Kristen Walker. 

“If you lose your job, is it worth it? If you lose your job, will it be worth it?” Walker asked. 

“Absolutely,” Gaetz replied. “Look, I am here to fight for my constituents and I am here to ensure that America’s not on a path to financial ruin.”

“We’re spending $7 trillion dollars a year and only taking in five. To me, people who are willing to drive annual deficits are the agents of chaos. The people who want budgets are actually the agents of regular order.” 

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On X, formerly known as Twitter, Gaetz said both Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) as “two great men running for Speaker.”

“Not only do we have a clear replacement, we have two,” Gaetz answered when Walker asked if it was “irresponsible” for him to oust McCarthy. 

“I think that in a two-man race, it’s a lot easier to get someone to 50 percent plus one than in a race where you have three, four, five, seven people,” Gaetz claimed. “By the way, if we have a Speaker Jim Jordan or a Speaker Steve Scalise at the end of the coming week, there won’t be a single Republican, maybe Kevin McCarthy, who doesn’t believe that we have upgraded the position.” 

“This is about ensuring long-term stability, financially for our country, from a leadership standpoint. And with either Steve Scalise or Jim Jordan, we will undeniably have an upgrade,” he said.

Last week, as Spencer covered, by a vote of 216 to 210, McCarthy was removed as Speaker of the House. The Republicans joining Gaetz in his motion to vacate were Reps. Biggs (AZ), Rep. Ken Buck (CO), Rep. Tim Burchett (TN), Rep. Eli Crane (AZ), Rep. Bob Good (VA), Rep. Nancy Mace (SC), and Rep. Matt Rosendale (MT).

After the vote, Gaetz told reporters outside: "It's to the benefit of this country that we have a better Speaker of the House than Kevin McCarthy!"

"We are breaking the fever now, and we should elect a speaker who's better,” he added.