Kevin McCarthy: Republicans would benefit 'tremendously' if Matt Gaetz wasn’t in Congress

In his first official sit-down interview with CNN following his ouster as speaker of the House, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California) spoke candidly about the Republicans that voted to strip him of the gavel.

Last month, a faction of eight Republicans — led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) — sided with Democrats in the first-ever vote to remove a sitting House speaker via a "motion to vacate" by a vote of 216-210. Gaetz and his disgruntled fellow colleagues took offense to McCarthy relying on Democratic votes to pass a funding bill to avoid a government shutdown, and took advantage of a rules change McCarthy opponents instituted in January in which just one lone member of the House of Representatives can bring a motion to vacate to the floor.

While speaking to CNN's Manu Raju, McCarthy said his caucus would benefit "tremendously" if Matt Gaetz was removed from the House, though he didn't specify whether that should happen via expulsion or election.

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"People have to earn the right to be here," McCarthy said, adding that he doesn't think the House Republican Conference "would ever heal if there's no consequences" for removing him from his position and triggering a weeks-long paralysis of the House.

McCarthy also unleashed on Reps. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina) and Tim Burchett (R-Tennessee), who joined Gaetz's effort to oust him. The former speaker called out his fellow Republicans for caring "a lot about press, not about policy." He said he felt Mace — who is in her second term — specifically was vulnerable among her constituents for her "philosophy" and "flip-flopping."

"I don't think she'll probably have earned the right to get reelected, I think if you look at the district," McCarthy said.

When Raju asked Gaetz to respond to McCarthy's comments, the Florida Congressman reportedly said "thoughts and prayers to the former speaker as he works through his grief." Rep. Mace said she "stands by" her vote to oust McCarthy and accused the former speaker of "lying all the time."

READ MORE: 'Force me out': McCarthy won't leave speaker's office despite being ousted over 2 weeks ago