RNC Chair: House Infighting 'Not Good'

House GOP members taking time to find a speaker to replace Kevin McCarthy are not helping the party achieve its goals of defeating President Joe Biden and taking control of Congress next year, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Wednesday.

Eight conservatives joined all Democrats to oust McCarthy from the speakership on Tuesday. Several GOP House leaders said they expect a vote on a new speaker to be held Oct. 11.

McDaniel, appearing on Fox Business, offered a sentiment resembling the one posted to Truth Social Tuesday by former President Donald Trump: "Why is it that Republicans are always fighting among themselves, why aren't they fighting the Radical Left Democrats who are destroying our Country?"

"Anytime we're fighting with each other, we're taking away from our message against Joe Biden," McDaniel told Fox Business. "We're about a year out from a critical election where we have a great Senate map, we've got to hold the House, and we can win the White House. And the headlines today aren't about the border, they're not about the failure of Bidenomics, they're not about fentanyl. It's about Republican Party infighting. It is not good.

"I think every Republican right now has to wake up every day and say, 'How does this help us beat the Democrats in November? What headline do we need today?'"

McDaniel praised McCarthy for his work as speaker.

"I will say on a personal note, I've worked with Kevin McCarthy the past four years — you don't get the House without Kevin McCarthy, with the recruitment that he did, with the record number of women and minority members serving in Congress," McDaniel said.

"It takes a lot of flying and a lot of fundraising and a lot of grit to do what he did to get us the House back, and I'm very sad on a personal level for my friend, Kevin McCarthy."

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., filed the motion to vacate and remove McCarthy from his position in retaliation against the speaker's alleged "backdoor" handling of a recently passed stopgap measure that averted a government shutdown.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., sent letters to colleagues Wednesday saying they intend to campaign for speaker.

• Jim Jordan to Run for House Speaker
• House Majority Leader Scalise to Seek Speakership