McCarthy Knocks Gaetz: ‘If We Had Listened to [Him], We Would Be in a Government Shutdown’

Rep. Kevin McCarthy responded on Monday to Rep. Matt Gaetz dismissing concern from fellow lawmakers over a lack of speaker of the House amid Hamas attacks on Israel.

Gaetz filed the original motion to dismiss McCarthy from his House speaker role. Eight Republicans total joined with House Democrats to vote McCarthy out. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., is serving as an interim replacement until a vote this week.

Appearing with Fox News' Martha MacCallum on Monday, McCarthy responded to a clip of Gaetz on Sunday declaring, "I don't think that other countries think about Kevin McCarthy’s speakership quite as much as Kevin McCarthy does," in response to those arguing ousting McCarthy put the country in a weakened position to respond to violence in Gaza that has taken hundreds of lives, including at least 11 Americans.

"This isn’t about the speakership," McCarthy told MacCallum.

He knocked Gaetz's demands for massive spending cuts while a federal government shutdown loomed last month, which was avoided in a last-minute, short-form funding deal.

"I am still a member of Congress. I understand the relationship between America and Israel. I have dear friends in the leadership there and living there. And I’m not gonna sit back and do nothing," McCarthy said in response to Gaetz. "What I have found what's going on, if we had listened to Matt Gaetz, we would be in a government shutdown right now. So, our own troops wouldn’t be paid. What strength would we have in the world then?"

McCarthy signaled on Monday he could be open to returning to his role as House speaker if his conference called for it. Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who is endorsed by Donald Trump, and Steve Scalise, R-La., are also running for the role.