Socialist Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is underwater following a seemingly intense conversation with Republican Representative Matt Gaetz appeared on the House Floor.
The controversy arose after Gaetz reportedly filed for a petition for the Republicans to choose Rep. Jim Jordan as speaker instead of Rep. Kevin McCarthy.
During his viral speech, Gaetz argued for Republicans to ditch McCarthy, saying, “Sometimes we have to do jobs that we don’t really want to do and sometimes we have to do jobs that we are called to do.”
“So my colleagues, I rise to nominate the most talented, hardest, working member of the Republican conference, who just gave a speech with more vision that we have ever heard from the alternative.” Gaetz added.
Gaetz also added that “I’m nominating Jim, Jordan. Jim Jordan is humble, perhaps today humble to a fault. Maybe the right person for the job of Speaker of the House isn’t someone who wants it so bad. Maybe the right person for the job of Speaker of the House isn’t someone who has sold shares of themself for more than a decade to get it.”
Here’s something you don’t see every day:
— The Recount (@therecount) January 3, 2023
Rep. @AOC (D-NY) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) talking on the House floor after Kevin McCarthy’s bid for Speaker falls short on the first ballot. pic.twitter.com/PsFkiWW1kX
Following the controversial speech of the Republican, and the failure of the House to vote for McCarthy as the new speaker, Gaetz was seen speaking with Ocasio-Cortez.
In addition, AOC was also seen speaking with Republican Rep. Paul Gosar after McCarthy failed to secure the votes he needed to become Speaker.
In an exclusive report released by the Intercept, Gaetz reportedly told Ocasio-Cortez that McCarthy was trying to cut a deal with Democrats and told them to vote “present” so he could become a speaker.
After that, Ocasio-Cortez disagreed and claimed that wasn’t going to happen.
“McCarthy was suggesting he could get Dems to walk away to lower his threshold. And I fact checked and said absolutely not.” Ocasio-Cortez said during an interview with The Intercept about her conversation with Gaetz.
According to the media outlet, “Gaetz told Ocasio-Cortez that McCarthy has been telling Republicans that he’ll be able to cut a deal with Democrats to vote present, enabling him to win a majority of those present and voting, according to Ocasio-Cortez. She told Gaetz that wasn’t happening, and also double-checked with Democratic party leadership, confirming there’d be no side deal.”
“Gaetz, who has shown a willingness to break with the GOP establishment, said that his crew of McCarthy opponents was dug in and would continue to resist him, adding that McCarthy has been threatening opponents with loss of committee assignments. A private gathering of Republicans ahead of the vote had been heated, multiple sources said,” it added.
