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Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy praised all but one of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet selections. On Wednesday, Trump appointed Republican former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as the incoming administration’s attorney general. In response, longtime rival and ousted Speaker McCarthy dismissed the nomination, calling it a political “long shot.”
Gaetz and McCarthy have had a longstanding feud that predates this nomination. “I think the choices are very good except one,” McCarthy said in an interview on Wednesday. “Look, Gaetz won’t get confirmed. Everybody knows that.”
“You can ask the president, but Gaetz couldn’t win in a Republican conference,” McCarthy added. “So, it doesn’t matter.”
Gaetz, a longtime Trump loyalist, enjoys strong support among the MAGA base. However, his popularity may not translate to Washington, D.C., as he faces a challenging Senate confirmation. Despite Republicans holding a 53-seat majority in January, confirming Gaetz could be difficult, with several senators already voicing hesitations about Trump’s Cabinet picks. Some remain skeptical that Gaetz will secure enough votes for confirmation.
If the confirmation vote occurs after Trump is in office, Vice President-elect JD Vance would participate in the process, allowing Gaetz to lose only three votes. Gaetz’s office did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.
The long-standing feud between Gaetz and McCarthy reached a peak in October 2023 when Gaetz filed a motion to vacate the speakership, resulting in McCarthy becoming the first speaker ever ousted. Gaetz was joined by Republicans Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Eli Crane of Arizona, Bob Good of Virginia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Matt Rosendale of Montana.
Following his removal as speaker, McCarthy resigned from his post. He and his allies then launched an unsuccessful, multimillion-dollar campaign to support primary challengers against the Republicans who voted to oust him, including Gaetz. Notably, Gaetz went on to win his Republican primary against McCarthy-backed challenger Aaron Dimmock, securing 72.6% of the vote to Dimmock’s 27.4%.
