A report from Capitol Hill reveals that a heated disagreement between Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and members of the House GOP Conference almost escalated into a physical confrontation on Thursday.
Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) confirmed that Gaetz interrupted him while he was speaking at the microphone, leading to the entire conference shouting him down.
”I think the entire conference screamed at him. The whole country I think would scream at Matt Gaetz right now.” McCarthy said.
However, after the press conference, Axios’ Juliegrace Brufke suggested that Congressman Mike Bost (R-IL), the Clerk of the House, responded more aggressively to Gaetz.
“Per a source in the room, McCarthy screamed at Matt Gaetz to sit down when he went to the mics, with the source saying Rep. Bost ‘almost lunging at him.’” Brufke claimed. “McCarthy advocated for empowering McHenry while Jordan stayed on as speaker designee, per two sources.”
Melanie Zanona, a Capitol Hill reporter for CNN, appeared to corroborate this situation.
“THINGS not going so great in GOP conference, which turned heated, I’m told. At one point, Gaetz was told to sit down by McCarthy and refused, then Rep. Bost “got all emotional” and “was cussing at him” and “telling him it’s all his fault,” one member claimed.
🚨Report: Mike Bost tried to fight Matt Gaetz in the GOP conference meeting this morning. pic.twitter.com/8a3qYHm1OE— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) October 19, 2023
“Other Republicans stood up and expressed fury over Jordan for backing the empowering McHenry resolution, and suggested it was a self serving move. Some members encouraged him to drop out of speaker’s race,” Zanona reported.
Bost and Gaetz have had a contentious history, with Bost having previously shouted at Gaetz during the January Speakership battle when Gaetz criticized McCarthy.
In a statement posted on October 13th, Bost expressed his support for Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House, emphasizing the need for unity and prompt action in addressing pressing issues.
“I am proud to support Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House. Jim is a conservative fighter who cares deeply for this country. At a time when we face serious challenges at home and abroad, House Republicans can’t afford to wait another moment to unify and get back to governing.” Bost said.
In a subsequent post, following the meeting involving Gaetz and McCarthy, Bost did not address the reported near altercation but reiterated his support for Jordan.
“I support #JordanForSpeaker. If he brings another vote to the House floor today, I’ll vote for him again. What I don’t support is a plan to extend short-term powers to a temporary Speaker. We need to secure the border, aid Israel, and pass fiscally conservative spending bills by mid-November. We don’t get these goals achieved with a placeholder,” he reiterated.
