The Republicans at the 2024 Republican National Convention have been trying to spread the theme of unity this week.
Matt Gaetz apparently hasn’t gotten the message.
The Florida congressman, who is among the many speakers on Day 3 of the convention in Milwaukee, was looking to pick a fight on Tuesday with his nemesis, former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Gaetz, who led the effort to oust McCarthy from his position last year, went up to McCarthy on the floor of the convention at Fiserv Forum and taunted him on not receiving a speaking gig.
“You would get booed off the stage,” Gaetz hurled at the California Republican.
McCarthy, who was conducting an interview at the time, likely didn’t have time for Gaetz’s antics.
But someone else nearby saw the encounter and wanted to put Gaetz in his place.
“Shut up, Gaetz,” the man said. “Don’t be an ass—-.”
Gaetz apparently wanted to dish it out but didn’t like to be called out based on what came next.
“Dude, I don’t even know who you are,” Gaetz fired back as they stared at each other nearly face to face.
“It doesn’t matter, don’t be an ass—-,” the man said again.
Gaetz walked away.
He told The Hill that McCarthy “was saying something very untrue and nasty about me to CNN. So, this is a convention floor. I thought it’d be OK to convene a little bit.”
Gaetz will be one of the first speakers at the RNC Wednesday night between 6 and 6:30 p.m.
The encounter between Gaetz and McCarthy caught the attention of Wisconsin’s U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who also is making his own headlines this week at the RNC.
Van Orden, who is at the convention but not speaking, accused an anti-war protester of assault during an incident in downtown Milwaukee.
Van Orden didn’t call Gaetz by name in an X (formerly Twitter) post but it’s clear he’s referring to Gaetz when he calls him a “little (expletive).”
Not very unifying.
