With Santos gone, Gaetz frets GOP could lose its majority within months
Firebrand Rep. Matt Gaetz predicted that the expulsion of lying Long Island Rep. George Santos could imperil Republicans’ majority in the House of Representatives.
Gaetz (R-Fla.), who led the mutiny against former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in October, warned that other Republicans could be on their way out of the lower chamber.
“Our willingness to self mutilate on these things really impairs our ability to get the job done,” Gaetz lamented on the “The Charlie Kirk Show.”
Truth-challenged Santos (R-NY) became the sixth member ever expelled from the House on Friday when 105 Republicans backed the effort to oust him.
With Santos out, Republicans’ majority in the lower chamber has winnowed down by one.
Gaetz called Santos’ ouster “tactically stupid” and fretted that other House Republicans could soon leave.
“Congressman Bill Johnson of Ohio has taken a college university presidency that can knock us down to two. And I don’t really think Kevin McCarthy is sticking around long,” he said.
“We got a bunch of these octogenarians in our conference. If God forbid, any of them were to cross the Rainbow Bridge, we would be in a situation where we could literally lose the majority because we were so eager to throw George Santos out before even being convicted.”
Gaetz railed against efforts to push out the scandal-plagued rep, demanding more due process and arguing that the scandal engulfing New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, who was indicted on bribery charges in September, was more concerning.
The vote to oust Santos came in the wake of a damning report from the House Committee on Ethics alleging that he “blatantly stole” campaign funds.
Notably, Gaetz is under investigation from the House Committee on Ethics believed to center on accusations of him using illegal drugs and engaging in sexual misconduct.
Gaetz has denied the allegations against him. McCarthy has publicly alleged that Gaetz crusaded to depose him because he refused to interfere in that probe.
The Florida congressman fiercely rejected that claim from McCarthy.
Earlier this year, federal prosecutors officially decided not to pursue charges against Gaetz following a similar investigation.
Santos is also facing a 23 count indictment for alleged embezzlement, defrauding donors, and more.
Since his ejection, Santos has begun an apparent revenge tour against members of Congress, announcing plans to furnish several ethics complaints against lawmakers.
