In a shocking revelation on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said he would resign from Congress if a deal was brokered with Democrats to get Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) elected as Speaker of the House. No deal was made with the left to get McCarthy into the position, but it does reveal just how committed Gaetz was to getting concessions from the new House speaker.
Gaetz was part of a group of 20 Republican representatives who refused to back the California lawmaker for the gavel unless several concessions were made to ensure the GOP’s conservative principles prevail.
“If Democrats join up to elect a moderate Republican, I will resign”: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) pic.twitter.com/jrZNoku3Je
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) January 6, 2023
Ingraham first told her audience that there are only three possible ways for the standoff to end: Conservatives announce victory with McCarthy’s concessions and throw their support behind him; McCarthy steps aside and a different GOP representative garners 218 votes; or establishment Republicans cross the aisle and create what is essentially a power-sharing agreement with Democrats for McCarthy or some other GOP representative to become Speaker.
Then came her interview with Rep. Gaetz.
When Ingraham told him that he risked the third outcome, the Florida representative brushed that aside by replying “No, absolutely not. That will not happen.”
First he reasoned that the 212 voting Democrats will not break away from the historic choice of Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). Then Gaetz made his bold declaration.
He said “if Democrats join up to elect a moderate Republican, I will resign from the House of Representatives. That is how certain I am.”
