Matt Gaetz has denied suggestions that he wants the role of House speaker as the Florida congressman continues to mount pressure on Kevin McCarthy.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Gaetz said that he has "no interest" in replacing McCarthy amid his threats to introduce a motion to vacate which could see the California Republican ousted from the position as speaker.
Gaetz frequently criticizes McCarthy, and was one of several GOP congressmen who refused to vote for his reelection to House speaker in January.
Thw congressman has threatened to introduce a motion to vacate amid McCarthy's ongoing negotiations with Democrats to avoid a possible government shutdown.
The Florida Republican was also critical of what he saw as delays in opening an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, a step McCarthy took on September 12 in a move seen as appeasing his hardline GOP critics.
On Sunday, Gaetz responded to a social media user who accused him of trying to position himself for the House speaker role. "This is not the time, nor the place for this," the X user wrote. "You are tarnishing your image & damaging the party with your disunity expressions!"
In reply, Gaetz wrote: "I can one thousand percent promise you that I have no interest in being speaker. I hope this eases your concern."
Newsweek has contacted Gaetz's office for comment via email.
On September 12, after the opening of the Biden impeachment hearing was announced, Gaetz gave a speech on the House floor in which he suggested that he or another GOP lawmaker could still take steps to remove McCarthy.
"Mr. Speaker, you are out of compliance with the agreement that allowed you to assume this role," Gaetz said. "The path forward for the House of Representatives is to either bring you into immediate total compliance or remove you, pursuant to a motion to vacate the chair."
The GOP has accused Biden of intervening and personally benefiting from his son Hunter Biden's foreign business deals while vice president, accusations which have been denied by both the White House and Hunter Biden's lawyers.
Those pushing for an impeachment against Biden have yet to reveal any meaningful evidence to back up the allegations of corruption against the president, and it is unlikely the marginally GOP-controlled House will have the two-third majority vote needed to launch a hearing against the president.
Gaetz was among the group of Republicans who refused to vote for McCarthy to become House speaker in January. McCarthy was eventually reelected at the 15th attempt as six Republicans withheld their ballot, lowering the threshold for him to win.
One of the concessions McCarthy made to appease some members of his party and to back his reelection bid was changing Congress rules so that just one member could introduce a motion to vacate and force a vote on removing the speaker.
A simple House majority would then be needed for McCarthy to be removed.
In 2022, Gaetz repeatedly expressed his support for Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, a founder of the influential House Freedom Caucus, for the position of speaker.
