House Republicans held a conference meeting that lasted for more than four hours that included a member nearly lunging for Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
A taste of the insanity on the Republican side of the aisle:
Per a source in the room, McCarthy screamed at Matt Gaetz to sit down when he went to the mics, with the source saying Rep. Bost “almost lunging at him.”
— Juliegrace Brufke (@juliegraceb) October 19, 2023
Kevin McCarthy has been talking to reporters every day trying to convince them and the country that Democrats are to blame for the fact that the Republican majority can’t elect a Speaker of the House. Apparently, not everyone in the House Republican conference agrees with McCarthy.
Some people seem to know exactly who is to blame for this mess, and they keep trying to physically attack him. Going back the whole way to the McCarthy speaker fight on the House floor in January, there have been more attempts to physicality harm Matt Gaetz than there have been successful Speaker elections.
Republicans came out of their meeting with no plan to elect a speaker. The meeting was a total failure. They can’t even get their act together enough to empower a temporary Speaker of the House. The government is set to shut down in less than a month, and Republicans can’t even keep the House of Representatives open.
The idea of Democrats and some pragmatic Republicans forming a coalition government sounded nice, but with members who voted against Jim Jordan getting death threats, it is reasonable to ask if Democrats should want anything to do with any of these people.
The answer should be a resounding no.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
