Kevin McCarthy is apparently getting tired of walking his political tightrope. In a closed-door meeting with Republicans, he dropped an f-bomb over repeated threats from the conservative flank in Congress to oust him from his position, reports Hill. "If you want to file a motion to vacate, then file the f---ing motion," McCarthy said, according to GOP Rep. Brian Mast. Multiple outlets, including Axios and the Washington Post, have similar wording from McCarthy. "You guys think I'm scared of a motion to vacate," he said, per the Post. "Go f---ing ahead and do it. I'm not scared."
Afterward, McCarthy told reporters that he "showed frustration" because he is indeed "frustrated with some people in the conference." He didn't name names, but GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz in particular has been making the rounds of late threatening to file a motion to oust McCarthy. Gaetz and other members of the House Freedom Caucus, along with other far-right lawmakers, say McCarthy isn't keeping his promises to rein in spending and go after President Biden. McCarthy's decision this week to open an impeachment inquiry apparently did little to mollify the group, notes the Post.
Gaetz, for one, did not seem fazed by McCarthy's frustration. "Instead of emotionally cursing, maybe the speaker should just keep his word from January on balanced budgets, term limits, and single-subject spending bills," he told the Hill. And on social media, he wrote, "Sounds like (McCarthy) is having a total normal one—not rattled at all." Gaetz or any member of Congress could file a motion to vacate, but virtually all Democrats would have to be on board with removing McCarthy, and that seems unlikely at the moment. Meanwhile, the speaker is trying to get a spending bill passed to avoid a government shutdown before the end of the month, but he had to table another appropriations bill this week over conservative objections. (More Kevin McCarthy stories.)
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