House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is involved in another internal dispute within the House GOP after supporting one of his vulnerable incumbents on Tuesday.
Johnson traveled to San Antonio this week for a campaign fundraiser hosted by Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who faces a primary challenger supported by members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus and their supporters.
The event took place just days after Gonzales upset the GOP rebel group by calling two of his colleagues, House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good, R-Va., and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., scumbags and comparing them to Klansmen in a surprising CNN interview over the weekend.
Gonzales noted the privilege of serving in Congress, but he said that there are some genuine scumbags like Matt Gaetz, who paid minors for sex at drug parties, and Bob Good, who supported his opponent, a known neo-Nazi. Gonzales said these individuals once walked around in white hoods at night, but now they do so openly during the day.
The accusations against Gaetz, which he denies, were part of a federal investigation that prosecutors eventually decided not to pursue.
Gaetz and Good’s supporters capitalized on the remarks and soon after on Johnson’s decision to appear with Gonzales.
This situation is part of the ongoing repercussions from the House’s approval of Johnson’s $95 billion foreign aid plan for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific. Johnson’s plan received broad bipartisan support but angered a defiant group of House GOP lawmakers who feel increasingly marginalized as Johnson navigates important legislation with a narrow majority.
Johnson’s campaign events are usually planned in advance, but the reaction to this recent stop highlights the persistent division that has troubled the House GOP throughout this Congress.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, expressed disbelief at how the situation evolved, saying he is under attack along with other conservatives. Roy noted that Bob Good, the chairman of the Freedom Caucus, is under attack by Tony Gonzales, who called him a Klansman.
Gonzales’ opponent, pro-Second Amendment social media personality Brandon Herrera, responded to Gonzales’ comments on X soon after the congressman’s interview, stating that Gonzales had to turn to his liberal friends because Republicans no longer listen.
Gaetz accused Gonzales of spreading lies on CNN and pointed out that Gonzales was censured by the Texas GOP for supporting gun control measures after the Uvalde school shooting, which occurred in Gonzales’ district, where 19 elementary school students and two teachers were murdered by an 18-year-old with an AR-15.
On Wednesday morning, Gaetz mocked Johnson and Gonzales with a photo from the event and accused them of briefing donors in Texas about their work on securing the border, specifically in Ukraine.
A source familiar with Johnson’s campaign plans mentioned that the event with Gonzales was a longstanding stop that was part of a wider campaign season swing through Texas.
Gonzales wrote on X that he was proud to host an incredible crowd for their Fiesta luncheon and thanked Speaker Johnson for attending and being a champion for the issues that matter.
Fox News Digital contacted Gonzales’ campaign for a response to the backlash but did not receive an immediate reply. Fox News Digital also contacted Good’s campaign.
Gaetz listed Johnson’s legislative shortfalls, such as the bipartisan government funding deal, renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and his support for Gonzales. Gaetz noted that Speaker Johnson has undergone a transformation that surpasses that of the monarch butterfly.
