In new audio of a call with House Republican leadership in the days after the January 6th domestic terrorist attack on Congress, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise discussed how Matt Gaetz’s actions “[are] potentially illegal.” McCarthy called out Congressman Gaetz, the alleged child sex trafficker from Florida, for making damaging and threatening remarks in the aftermath of the attack while mentioned Mo Brooks (Alabama) and Louie Gohmert (Texas) by name.
“I just got something sent now about Newsmax and Matt Gaetz said where he’s calling people’s names out saying ‘an anti-Trump’ in this type of atmosphere, in some of the other places,” McCarthy says in a hidden moment of leadership. “This is serious stuff that people are doing that has to stop.”
Scalise pipes up: “Mo and Louie’s comments, too. A lot of members have said some real concerning things…. And it’s potentially illegal, what he’s doing.”
“He’s putting people in jeopardy. And he doesn’t need to be doing this,” McCarthy continues. “We saw what people would do in the Capitol, y’know, and these people came prepared with rope and everything else.”