What role did Trump play in Kevin McCarthy's ouster? Matt Gaetz claims ex-POTUS supported removal of 'creature of the swamp' Speaker
WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Matt Gaetz claimed that he had conversations with former President Donald Trump leading up to Tuesday's historic vote on October 3 that ultimately ousted Kevin McCarthy from his position as Speaker of the House.
Gaetz stated that Trump approved of his actions, adding that these discussions left him confident in his decision-making process.
"I have spoken to President Trump over the last several days," Gaetz told reporters on the steps of the Capitol after the vote. "I would say that my conversations with the former president leave me with great confidence that I'm doing the right thing."
Kevin McCarthy's unprecedented ouster
This ouster marked a pivotal moment in American political history, as McCarthy became the first Speaker to be removed from office through a vote that saw eight members of his own party turn against him.
The Republican Party now faces the arduous task of electing a new Speaker while grappling with the divisive aftermath of this internal party struggle.
The repercussions of this vote sent shockwaves through the political landscape, leaving Democrats bewildered. During the vote in the House chamber, lawmakers sat in silence rather than engaging in their usual conversations, a testament to the gravity of the situation.
McCarthy himself remained silent after the vote and stood to shake hands with his supporters, some of whom were seen praying on the House floor. Republican Rep Ann Wagner appeared visibly emotional.
Trump, who shares a close relationship with Gaetz, has also been a target of McCarthy's efforts to court the former president and his fervent MAGA base.
However, Trump seemed to disapprove of the internal strife within the Republican Party.
"Why is it that Republicans are always fighting among themselves, why aren't they fighting the Radical Left Democrats who are destroying our Country?" he wrote on Truth Social ahead of the vote.
This dramatic episode also drew concern from Republican Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, an ally of both Trump and McCarthy. "It's actually pretty frightening considering our country has so many problems and we really need to be a functioning House," she said.
Matt Gaetz remains defiant
Despite facing backlash from within his own party, Gaetz, a Republican from Florida, remained defiant in his decision to initiate the process to remove McCarthy from the Speaker's office.
He rejected claims that he had paralyzed the House and undermined his party, challenging his critics to take action and expel him if they had the votes.
"If they want to expel me, let me know when they have the votes," Gaetz said of rumors that his Republican colleagues may oust him from the House GOP Conference.
Gaetz described McCarthy as a "creature of the swamp."
"Kevin McCarthy is a creature of the swamp. He has risen to power by collecting special interest money and redistributing that money in exchange for favors. We are breaking the fever now. And we should elect a speaker who's better than Kevin McCarthy," he said.
Furthermore, he said the Republican Party was experiencing the various "stages of grief."
"There was a stage of denial and I've certainly experienced a good amount of their anger. And now we appear to be headed toward bargaining," he said.
Rep Patrick McHenry, an ally of McCarthy, was named speaker pro temp in the aftermath of the latter's ouster.
Doubts surrounding Donald Trump's support
After Gaetz publicly claimed that former President Donald Trump supported him, doubts arose among multiple Trump advisers and supporters. Chris LaCivita, a Trump adviser, directed attention to President Trump's earlier posts on Truth Social, which did not explicitly endorse Gaetz's assertion.
Another adviser also guided NBC News to the Truth Social post, emphasizing that it did not offer strong support for Gaetz's claim of Trump's backing.
When asked whether they believed Gaetz's statement, a Trump ally responded by saying, "Let's hear Trump say that."
Trump's relatively low-profile stance during the turmoil surrounding McCarthy's future marked a departure from his previous involvement earlier in the year.
At that time, he had engaged with lawmakers by phone and publicly endorsed McCarthy during the election for Speaker of the House.McCarthy ultimately overcame significant opposition from within his own party to become Speaker after a drawn-out 15-round floor fight.
Notably, during the recent government funding dispute, Trump privately conveyed to some conservative members that they should do what was necessary, despite his social media post urging Republicans to shut down the government.
Curiously, some conservative members who had received guidance from Trump during the funding dispute the previous week did not receive communication from him regarding the effort to oust McCarthy. This discrepancy left several sources puzzled.
One Trump ally suggested that Gaetz's public assertion essentially tied the former president to the events of Tuesday's vote. "By Matt coming out and saying what he just said, the president owns this, whether he likes it or not," they told the outlet on condition of anonymity.