Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Monday said President-elect Donald Trump should have never picked former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to lead the Justice Department.
In an interview with Fox News’ Jesse Waters, McCarthy said Gaetz’s intended nomination was dragging down Trump’s approval rating when it comes to how he is handling the transition and his Cabinet pick announcements.
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Trump “got rid of the problem, now he’s in a very good place,” McCarthy said.
“And you’re saying the problem was Matt Gaetz?” Waters asked.
“Well, that’s a fear for all young girls. They need their justice,” McCarthy replied.
Waters interjected noting the longstanding feud between the former speaker and Gaetz.
“We’re going to have a pay-per-view fight between you two,” Waters joked.
“No,” McCarthy added. “Let’s be very honest that there’s no reason why that man should’ve ever been nominated. Those girls need justice and that is not the place for him.”
While it’s unclear if Gaetz’s decision to withdraw his name from consideration for the role of U.S. attorney general increased Trump’s favorability ratings, a CBS News poll released Monday indicated that among Trump’s controversial picks, Gaetz was the one viewed least favorably by respondents.
McCarthy’s critical comments on Gaetz appear to be in reference to the scrutiny the Florida Republican has faced over sexual misconduct allegations.
Gaetz, who has denied wrongdoing, was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over those allegations but the probe ended once the Florida Republican resigned from Congress after Trump named him as his pick to lead the DOJ.
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Gaetz was also investigated by the Justice Department but federal prosecutors did not pursue charges against him.
McCarthy and Gaetz are longstanding rivals.
Gaetz is widely seen as the architect of McCarthy’s ouster after he filed a resolution to declare the speaker’s office vacant in October 2023.
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McCarthy, who has repeatedly claimed that Gaetz orchestrated his removal in an effort to stop the ethics probe, vowed revenge. While McCarthy backed Gaetz’s primary challenger in the 2024 election, Gaetz still managed to prevail and go on to win the general election.
Despite no longer being considered to lead the DOJ, Gaetz said he doesn’t want back his old job.
“I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” Gaetz told conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
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For now, Gaetz is following in the footsteps of former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) by offering to film personalized videos on the video-sharing website Cameo for about $500 each.