Heated moment Matt Gaetz confronts Kevin McCarthy and tells him he would be 'booed' on stage in clash on the convention floor

Conservatives had hoped to put connected a show of unity astatine nan Republican National Convention. But 1 infinitesimal saw aged divisions flare up arsenic Matt Gaetz taunted Kevin McCarthy connected nan level while he was being interviewed. 

'What nighttime are you speaking? If you took that stage, you would get booed disconnected of it. You’d get booed disconnected nan stage!' Gaetz snickered astatine nan California Republican. 

His adjutant tweeted retired a clip of nan encounter. 

Gaetz and McCarthy person a agelong history of sparring. 

The Florida rabble-rouser launched nan mobility to vacate that resulted successful McCarthy losing nan occupation he'd worked his full profession for. 

McCarthy said successful April that he mislaid his occupation because he refused to thief Rep. Matt Gaetz cover up 'sleeping pinch a 17-year-old.' 

'I'll springiness you nan truth why I'm not speaker,' McCarthy said astatine a Georgetown University talk entitled 'How Strong Is Our Democracy?'

'It's because 1 person, a personnel of Congress, wanted maine to extremity an morals title because he slept pinch a 17-year-old,' nan California Republican went on. 'Did he do it aliases not? I don't know.'

McCarthy has agelong accused Gaetz of launching nan historical mobility to vacate that ousted him from nan speakership past twelvemonth complete an ongoing morals investigation into his conduct.

Gaetz changeable backmost to nan speaker's accusation connected X: 'Kevin McCarthy is simply a liar. That’s why he is nary longer speaker. Just inquire nan 224 group who voted to region him.'

In February, McCarthy suggested joined Gaetz 'lies astir who he sleeps with.' 

The House Ethics Committee first opened an investigation into Gaetz successful April 2021, but paused it during while nan Department of Justice launched their ain investigation into nan member.

The DOJ yet decided not to bring charges against Gaetz.

The House Ethics Committee, however, has reopened their probe into nan Floridian.

Additionally, recently reported matter messages show Gaetz soliciting a young female who his now-imprisoned pal Joel Greenberg had paid for activity to subordinate him connected a three-day excursion to nan Florida Keys.

The messages, reported by ABC News, allegedly occurred successful May 2017, months aft nan Florida Republican was sworn into office.

Texts described successful item to nan outlet reportedly show Gaetz asking nan female to alert connected a backstage level and subordinate him, 1 different female and 3 different men successful nan Keys.

McCarthy is nan only speaker to ever suffer nan gavel mid-term successful Congress. He subsequently near nan House and has near nary holds barred since connected nan 8 Republicans who voted to oust him.