Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., says he will quit Congress if Democrats reach a deal with GOP lawmakers to elect a moderate Republican speaker of the House.
"If Democrats join up to elect a moderate Republican, I will resign from the House of Representatives," he said.
Gaetz, who has joined with 19 other Republicans to block Rep. Kevin McCarthy's bid for speaker, made his comments during a Thursday interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox News.
He dismissed any possibility of Democrats joining with Republicans to strike a deal.
"These 212 Democrats are going to vote for Hakeem Jeffries every single time," he said. "He's a historic candidate. They're not going to cleave off."
The Washington Examiner noted Gaetz has voted against McCarthy in each of the 11 ballots cast as of Thursday.
"I wouldn't be betting on my vote for Kevin McCarthy almost under any circumstance," he said. "Kevin McCarthy is the masthead of the lobby core. I resent the extent to which Kevin McCarthy utilizes the lobbyists and the special interests to be able to dictate how political decisions are made. How policy decisions are made, and how leadership decisions are made.
"Kevin McCarthy has been in the leadership for 14 years. He's sold shares of himself to special interests, to political action committees, and that's why I don't think he's an appropriate choice. He also has no ideology."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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