During a Thursday morning conference meeting, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) got into a heated disagreement, with the Florida Republican accusing the speaker of paying influencers to attack him on social media.
Why it matters: The clash comes as Gaetz threatens to introduce a motion to vacate — a procedure for removing a speaker — if McCarthy supports a bipartisan stopgap funding plan to avert a government shutdown.
In recent days, Gaetz has been vociferous in his critiques of McCarthy’s leadership, claiming that a bipartisan short-term budget package would be a violation of the pact McCarthy struck with conservatives to win the gavel in January.
McCarthy said during the Thursday conference that they needed to transmit a stopgap measure that included border security to enhance their leverage in negotiations with the Senate.
Within the room: According to various people present at the meeting, tensions between the two lawmakers and Gaetz detractors were palpable.
During the conference meeting’s open mike, Gaetz asked McCarthy “if he was behind the effort to get ‘MAGA influencers’ to attack him,” according to sources.
McCarthy responded that “he wouldn’t waste his time or money on him.” Matt stated that he was “willing to give (Kevin) the benefit of the doubt,” according to the source.
McCarthy’s outside legal counsel delivered a cease and desist letter to an individual driving the effort for influencers to speak out against Gaetz on Tuesday, according to information seen by Axios. That person apparently claimed to be operating on McCarthy’s behalf.