Gaetz says he has no ‘personal animus’ against McCarthy

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) says he has no “personal animus,” or ill will, against former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) despite spearheading the effort to oust him from his leadership role just hours earlier.

Gaetz said that while McCarthy claimed a handful of GOP members sided with Democrats to remove him, the former Speaker also teamed up with the other side of the aisle on spending bills.

“But whenever there was a spending matter, he partnered with Democrats,” Gaetz said Tuesday evening on Fox News. “That said, Speaker McCarthy’s time is over. I wish him well.”

“I have no personal animus to him. I hope he finds fruitful pastures, and I’m certain he will. But we have got a job to do here,” he continued. “This is about the job. This is about keeping our commitment to have single-subject spending bills and an actual budget for the first time in half a century.”

Gaetz had been threatening to bring a motion to vacate against McCarthy for months, and he followed through with his threat Tuesday afternoon. The House voted to oust McCarthy as Speaker in a 216-210 vote, with all Democrats and eight Republicans joining forces to remove him.

McCarthy had dismissed Gaetz’s threats, maintaining it was a “personal” issue for him over an investigation into the Florida Republican by the House Ethics Committee. McCarthy has said he thinks the Florida lawmaker blamed him for the investigation, which Gaetz has repeatedly denied.

Now, McCarthy has said he will not run for the position again.

“You all know Matt Gaetz,” McCarthy said at a Tuesday press conference. “You know it was personal. It had nothing to do about spending, it had nothing to do about everything he accused somebody of he was doing. It all was about getting attention from you.”

“I mean, we’re getting email fundraisers from him as he’s doing it. Join in quickly,” McCarthy continued, referring to Gaetz fundraising off his motion to vacate. “That’s not governing, that’s not becoming of a member of Congress. And regardless of what you think, I’ve seen the text, it was all about his ethics, but that’s alright.”