Matt Gaetz: Kevin McCarthy is ‘Lying Like a Dead Dog’

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., called Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., "a sad and pathetic man who lies to hold on to power" during an interview Wednesday.

"He led to get power in January when he made this agreement and he's lying now about the basis for breach," said Gaetz on MSNBC, referring to his initial opposition to McCarthy as a candidate for speaker until McCarthy made several concessions to Gaetz and his allies.

Among those concessions was a new rule allowing a motion to vacate the speakership, removing McCarthy from office, to be brought by one representative instead of the five it used to require. Gaetz said that based on McCarthy's performance, such a move will be imminent unless McCarthy abides by the agreements he made with Gaetz and others in the Freedom caucus.

McCarthy claims that Gaetz is "upset about an ethics complaint" that McCarthy refused to quash. Gaetz insisted during his interview that "this is about term limits, a balanced budget amendment and single-subject spending bills."