Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy expressed his frustration towards the group of House Republicans who voted to oust him last month, suggesting that the party might be better off without his main GOP rival, Rep. Matt Gaetz.
McCarthy mentioned that Republicans would see a “tremendous” benefit if Gaetz, R-Fla., who initiated the vote to remove him, were no longer in office during a CNN interview.
In addition, he criticized Representatives Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Tim Burchett of Tennessee, who were part of the eight GOP members backing Gaetz’ motion.
“It seemed out of nature,” McCarthy said of their votes, adding that he believes Mace and Burchett “seemed to just want the press and the personality.”
Furthermore, McCarthy expressed his doubts about Mace’s chances of winning reelection for her third term in the House, stating, “I don’t believe she wins reelection. I don’t think she’ll probably have earned the right to get reelected,” to CNN.
McCarthy, who previously advocated for the rule allowing any member to motion to remove the speaker, acknowledged that the move against him was “personal.” He also emphasized the potential consequences of repeating the process with new Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
Moreover, McCarthy shared his concerns about the intraparty division within the House majority. “We’re still wondering whether government’s going to be shut down or not,” he said, highlighting the need to heal and serve the people.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kevin McCarthy lashes out at House Republicans who ousted him
