Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said Thursday on CNN’s “Inside Politics” that the Republican Party would benefit “tremendously” if Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) lost his seat.
Partial transcript as follows:
MANU RAJU: He’s very clear he is still very much upset with those eight Republicans who pushed him out. He’s kept his powder mostly dry since Mike Johnson was elected speaker not too long ago. But he made clear it’s fresh on his mind the efforts led by Matt Gaetz. And he was particularly concerned about two congressmen in particular, one Tim Burchett of Tennessee, he was surprised by his vote to oust him. But he also said that Nancy Mace, someone who hails from a competitive in South Carolina, he said that she does not deserve to be reelected.
RAJU: Matt Gaetz, you’ve been mentioning a lot. How much will the Republican Party benefit if he were no longer a member of the House, in your opinion?
MCCARTHY: Oh, tremendously. People have to earn the right to be here. And I just think, he will admit to you personally, he doesn’t have a conservative bent in his philosophy. And just the nature of what he focuses on.
RAJU: Do you think the House GOP should consider expelling him?
MCCARTHY: That’s up to the conference but I don’t believe the conference would ever heal if there’s no consequences for the action.
RAJU: What about that surprised you, Burchett and Mace?
MCCARTHY: It just didn’t — it seemed out of nature. But they seemed to have changed during the time. They care a lot about press, not about policy. So they seem to just want the press, personality.
RAJU: Do you think Mace will have a difficult time winning reelection now?
MCCARTHY: Yes, I don’t — well, not because of this. I mean if you watched, just her philosophy and the flip-flopping, I don’t believe she wins reelection. I don’t think she will probably have earned the right to get reelected. I think you look at the district yourself, yes.
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