The second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention featured a tense and public clash between far-right Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California, underscoring a deep-seated rivalry within the GOP.
In a widely circulated video, Gaetz approached McCarthy and said in a mocking tone: “What night are you speaking? Are you speaking tonight? If you took that stage, you would get booed off of it.”
Gaetz is scheduled to speak at the convention, though it is unclear when. Meanwhile, McCarthy is notably absent from the speaker lineup.
Very awkward moment- Congressman Matt Gaetz tries to interrupt former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s interviews, taunting him “Hey Kevin, what night are you speaking?” pic.twitter.com/vE1W5FvTqH
— Joe Khalil (@JoeKhalilTV) July 16, 2024
This incident is the latest chapter in the two Republicans’ ongoing feud, which came to a head last October when Gaetz introduced and passed a measure to remove McCarthy from his speakership.
The tension between McCarthy and Gaetz has only escalated since then. McCarthy has been on a “revenge tour,” supporting primary challengers against the so-called “Gaetz Eight”—the hardline conservatives who joined Democrats in voting to remove him from the speakership.
In a recent interview, McCarthy compared Gaetz to Hunter Biden, alleging misconduct and emphasizing the ongoing House Ethics Committee probe into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use against Gaetz.
Gaetz has vehemently denied the allegations and fired back with personal attacks on McCarthy.
More: Who will be speaking at RNC 2024? See full list of speakers
Jeremy Yurow is a politics reporting fellow based in Hawaii for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter @JeremyYurow
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Matt Gaetz and Kevin McCarthy feud erupts on the floor at RNC
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