Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida confronted Speaker Kevin McCarthy at a closed-door House GOP conference meeting on Thursday morning.
According to a source familiar with the meeting, there were "fireworks" when Gaetz accused McCarthy and his allies of orchestrating an online campaign against him using paid "MAGA influencers" on social media. McCarthy denied the claim and dismissed Gaetz, stating that he wouldn't waste his time on such matters.
During the meeting, McCarthy reportedly told Gaetz that he would be spending his time giving $5 million to GOP candidates and members to expand their majority, and questioned what Gaetz was doing to help. Other members expressed frustration with Gaetz, with one lawmaker telling him to "f--- off" and another calling him a "scumbag."
Gaetz confirmed the exchange with McCarthy when speaking to reporters after the meeting. He stated that he asked McCarthy if he was paying influencers to post negative things about him online, to which McCarthy responded that he wouldn't waste his time. When asked if he felt frustration with McCarthy, Gaetz replied that his blood pressure was normal and he was feeling great.
A spokesperson for McCarthy confirmed that the speaker had no role in the alleged online campaign and that all signs pointed to a Democrat-backed company. Fox News Digital was provided with a screenshot of a cease-and-desist email sent by McCarthy's outside lawyer to the alleged orchestrators, warning them to immediately cease their actions or face legal consequences.
This incident is the latest display of animosity between Gaetz and McCarthy. Gaetz has been threatening to force a House-wide vote on whether to remove McCarthy from the speakership over alleged violations of a deal he made to secure the position in January. Under the terms of the compromise, McCarthy agreed to allow any lawmaker to trigger a vote on his removal, known as a motion to vacate.
Although Gaetz did not explicitly call for a motion to vacate during his remarks on the House floor on Tuesday, he criticized McCarthy's leadership and suggested that Democrats should also consider taking action.
When asked about the measure on Thursday, Gaetz avoided the question and stated that his primary goal was to get individual single-subject spending bills passed.
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