Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reportedly dropped the f-bomb on one of his constituents.
According to The Hill, McCarthy was addressing an uptick in threats from GOP lawmakers to remove him as the party leader when he dropped the f-bomb.
“If you want to file a motion to vacate, then file the f—cking motion,” he said, as per Republican Florida Rep. Brian Mast. “We don’t try to air our laundry but again, you know, to that point, if somebody wants to file a motion to vacate, then file the f‑‑‑ing motion to vacate, and that’s it.”
McCarthy later admitted his own meltdown to reporters after the meeting amid growing murmurs of dissatisfaction over his House leadership.
“I showed frustration in here because I am frustrated. Frustrated with some people in the conference,” McCarthy said. “We had the DOD appropriations bill yesterday, couldn’t put it on the floor. I don’t have one complaint by any member of what’s wrong with this bill.”
The House speaker’s frustration prompted a response from Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who threatened to call a motion to vacate if McCarthy did not uphold the promises that secured his position.
“Instead of emotionally cursing, maybe the Speaker should just keep his word from January on balanced budgets, term limits and single-subject spending bills,” Gaetz said.
The congressman doubled down on his attack on McCarthy in a post on the social media platform X, saying that he feels vindicated after previously calling out the Republican leader.
“I warned everybody in December of last year. Speaker McCarthy believes in NOTHING except money and power. In football, when the team isn’t winning the games it’s supposed to, they fire the coach. In business, when a company does not match its projected earnings, then the board gets rid of the CEO. I’ve had enough McFailure. Have you?” Gaetz wrote.
McCarthy later made reference to his seeming belief that the Florida Republican wants him to get involved in an open House Ethics Committee investigation.
“He can threaten all he wants. I will not interject the Speaker into the independent Ethics Committee to influence it any way at all,” he told reporters.
