Rogers says he regrets losing temper with Gaetz

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said he regrets losing his temper with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on the House floor Friday night during a tense moment amid the drawn-out Speaker fight.

“.@RepMattGaetz and I have a long and productive working relationship, that I am sure will continue. I regret that I briefly lost my temper on the House Floor Friday evening and appreciate Matt’s kind understanding,” Rogers wrote on Twitter Sunday.

The episode occurred shortly after Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) lost the 14th ballot for Speaker because of opposition from six Republicans. Four members of the group voted for another candidate, and Gaetz and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) voted “no,” putting McCarthy one vote short of the Speaker’s gavel.

Gaetz missed his initial opportunity to vote in the roll, forcing the clerk to circle back to him at the end. He was the last member to vote in that round, and his decision determined whether McCarthy would win the gavel.

After Gaetz cast his present vote, McCarthy walked to his colleague from Florida and the two engaged in intense conversation. After roughly a minute and a half of discussion, McCarthy walked away and Rogers approached Gaetz.

Video captured by C-SPAN shows Rogers confronting Gaetz. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) then came behind Rogers and held him back, placing one hand on his shoulder and the other on his mouth.

The episode became one of the most stunning moments from the four-day Speaker race, which stretched 15 ballots before McCarthy finally secured the gavel. Gaetz and the five holdouts all voted present in the last round of voting, lowing the threshold McCarthy needed to win and putting him on the path to the gavel.

Gaetz on Sunday said he forgave Rogers for the tense moment and had no concerns about working together in the future. Rogers is slated to become the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, which Gaetz is a member of.

“Of course in a late-night moment of high drama people can have moments of frustration. But Mike Rogers and I have a six-year productive working relationship, we’re gonna work together wonderfully going forward, and I don’t think there should be any punishment or reprisal just because he had an animated moment,” Gaetz said on Fox News.

“He has my forgiveness and certainly is someone who has done great things for our national defense and will continue to do those great things,” Gaetz added.

This story was updated at 11:24 a.m.