Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is blaming Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla. ) after Republican congresswoman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) filed a motion to vacate the chair.
In an interview with Fox News, Gingrich said Gaetz “unleash the demons” when he led the effort to successfully remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif) last year.
“We shouldn’t underestimate how bad what Matt Gaetz did was for the whole system. He unleashed the demons,” Gingrich told host Laura Ingraham when asked why some Republicans lawmakers are deciding to leave Congress before their terms end.
“[Gaetz] went after somebody who had raised $480 million, had gain seats for three elections in a row. And he drove Kevin McCarthy out of office. And from that point on, it has been a disaster,” Gingrich added. “I don’t blame Johnson, I think Speaker Johnson has a hand that’s virtually impossible to play and that’s where I think some of the people just make it worse.”
On Friday, Greene filed a motion to vacate Johnson after the House passed the $1.2 trillion spending bill. She said the motion was a warning and didn’t give a specific timeline for a vote to remove the speaker.
