Exclusive: “Conservative Populists Were Backed By Progressive Populists” – GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz Verifies DC Establishments Worst Fears

Credit: CNBC

GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz spoke on Ari Melber’s show on MSNBC and confirmed just what the D.C. establishment fears most…that Gaetz and conservatives agree with AOC and left-leaning populists on more than they thought.

The populists on the left and on the right want to reign in the power of the government, ban stock trading by members of Congress, and end endless wars.

The D.C. establishment fears their power will be taken from them, and rightfully so.

Melber said to Gaetz, “Been a little while. So people have seen you there. We look at the new rules. First question, what do you think you or the Republican caucus are now achieving under these new rules?”

Gaetz replied, “These new rules will last long past my time in Congress or Kevin McCarthy’s as speaker, and they democratize the process so that individual members can offer amendments, can target spending for reductions.”

“It was even Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that went on Alex Wagner’s program during this balloting and said that a lot of the things that we were fighting for as conservative populists were supported by populists on the left because it didn’t concentrate so much power in the hands of the speaker and the leadership.”

Gaetz added that now as a single member, instead of a larger group, one can force a kind of “no confidence” vote and force a more extended period to read the bills.

Melber asked Gatez, “Thus far, do you feel that McCarthy is following all of this? And do you expect there to be a potential ‘no confidence’ vote in his tenure or that’s probably off the table now?”

Matt said, “I don’t expect it, though, of course, it is good for the health of the institution for any speaker to know that one member could call for a vote on their reign in power.”

“I’m particularly pleased that Kevin McCarthy has been meeting his commitments on policy, on procedure, and on personnel.”

“We’ve got a number of great conservatives now on the Rules Committee and on the Appropriations Committee that wouldn’t have had that opportunity, but for this temporary clash at the beginning of the year, I think we’re a stronger team now going forward.”

Matt added that he thinks they have given McCarthy every reason to be the “best version of himself” he can be.

McCarthy is now the 55th Speaker of the House, but he didn’t get that title quickly.

Gaetz and a few other GOP representatives were involved in the process much more than most politicians would have liked. The process was slow and deliberate, almost like how it should work all the time.

McCarthy won the Speakership after 15 votes were held.

Gaetz and the other reps who opposed McCarthy initially did so strategically to win the concessions they desired from him.

Rep. Byron Donalds was asked what influenced his decision to flip and back McCarthy, and he said: “The work we’ve done, the good faith efforts that we have done these last four days to make this place substantively better and I think we are there.”

Let’s all hope that McCarthy always sticks to his word and honors the concessions he made and that he always puts America first.