Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Friday said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is to blame for the “bad position” Republicans are in amid a struggle to elect someone to the top role.
McCarthy, speaking to members of the press after House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) lost his third Speaker vote, said Gaetz, and the other seven GOP hard-liners that supported his historic ouster earlier this month, were responsible for the chaos.
His comments come as the lower chamber has been without an elected Speaker for more than two weeks.
“What history will look at is the ‘Crazy Eight Led by Gaetz,'” the California Republican said. “The amount of damage they have to this party and to this country is insurmountable.”
“I’ve never seen this amount of damage done to just a few people for their own personalities for their own fear of what’s going through,” he added.
McCarthy and Gaetz have been arguing for weeks after Gaetz introduced the motion to remove the former Speaker from his leadership position.
“Really, it’s astonishing to me, and we are in a very bad position as a party, one that has won the majority, one that America has trusted us with, that a simple eight people have put us in this place,” McCarthy said.
His remarks also came before a closed-door meeting Friday afternoon. The conference ultimately voted in a secret ballot to no longer back Jordan as the nominee, sending the GOP scrambling to find another contender.
The field for Speaker is now becoming crowded, with at least nine members considering throwing their hat in the ring or officially announcing a bid.
Before Jordan, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) narrowly won the nomination, but withdrew his name a day later when it became clear he couldn’t garner the 217 votes needed to be elected.
House Republicans will meet again on Monday evening to choose their next nominee.