Matt Gaetz Makes Clear His Endgame In Battle with McCarthy

Hardline Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) made it clear Tuesday in remarks to reporters that he is not backing down on his list of demands from the Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and as a result, “We will probably have to endure some level of shutdown.”

of MSNBC Andrea Mitchell led a discussion on this topic on Tuesday and began by playing a clip of McCarthy speaking to reporters.

“I don’t think it’s right to shut down the government. And that’s why I’m doing everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t happen,” McCarthy said in the clip as he noted that he’s still working on a compromise.

As the conversation continued, Mitchell played another clip from Gaetz, threatening to try to remove McCarthy as speaker. “And David Jolly is a former Republican congressman. Let me play for you what Matt Gaetz from Florida State who you know and used to represent said about the prospects of a solution to this whole mess,” Mitchell said to introduce the clip.

“We cannot blame Joe Biden and the Democrats for why the Republican-controlled House of Representatives failed to pass single-issue spending bills. it’s our fault. So we have to deal with that. We will probably have to endure some level of closure,” Gaetz told reporters.

“Some level of closure,” Mitchell quoted Gaetz as saying. “I mean, that means you’re going to spend billions of dollars, you’re going to get a downgrade from one of the ratings services, which is going to cost you more in interest payments on the future debt. So it comes out of everyone’s pocket. So isn’t there a shutdown that doesn’t hurt?”

David Jolly answered, “No. In fact, one of Matt Gaetz’s, excuse me, Matt Gaetz’s colleagues said this morning, unfortunately, some people have to be hurt before Congress passes a budget.”

“And the crazy thing, Andrea, is what they’re talking about. Passage is only a temporary budget, not the actual full budget that Congress is responsible for,” Jolly continued, adding:

I think now the House Republicans are standing in a circular firing squad and Kevin McCarthy is just trying to survive it. Nothing will be passed in the Senate, not only because the Senate Democrats don’t want it, but because the Senate Republicans don’t want it. So the House Republicans and Kevin McCarthy are in the end, they have postponed their defeat of the Senate Democrats and Joe Biden on this measure. And then the question becomes, can Kevin? McCarthy survive that loss.

Watch the full clip above via MSNBC.

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