'People study that type of crazy': McCarthy takes last aim at Gaetz on last day in office

14 December 2023

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) took aim at Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) Thursday, and teased the idea of serving in Donald Trump's administration if he wins a second term, The Messenger reports.

"He's just, you know, people study that type of crazy mind — maybe at the FBI," McCarthy said of the far-right Florida lawmaker.

The two haven't seen eye-to-eye since Gaetz succeeded in his campaign to oust McCarthy from the speakership in September, over the California lawmaker's choice to partner with "Democrats to keep the government open as it faced a funding deadline," the report notes.

POLL: Should Trump be allowed to hold office again?

However, Gaetz faces "investigation by the House Ethics Committee, after the Justice Department earlier this year decided to not bring charges against the lawmaker in a sex-trafficking inquiry," which McCarthy has argued is what "kickstarted the campaign to get rid of him."

McCarthy said, "He's doing everything to make sure it doesn't come out. He doesn't care about anything else."

The Florida GOP leader is currently facing criticism from other GOP colleagues, including Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK). After he posted a graphic to X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday "showing that Mullin's wealth had increased from $12 million, when he was a member of the House of Representatives, to $63 million in 2022 after several years in the US Senate," Mullin fired back Thursday morning, saying Gaetz "'should try building a business that gains value' and that doing so is 'more gratifying than living off your daddy’s money.'"

One thing McCarthy and Gaetz can agree on, though, is their support for Trump. During the nearly hour-long interview — which took place during the congressman's last working day in Congress — according to The Messenger, "McCarthy said 'yeah' when he was asked whether he would be willing to take a post in a Trump administration or other roles in government.

The Messenger's full report is here.

From Your Site Articles