Last Updated on December 1, 2022
After suggesting House Republicans who are pushing back against Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) Speaker election bid are helping the Democrats, Jack Posobiec was confronted by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)
Posobiec, a rightwing political commentator, quickly gave in to pressure from Gaetz after Posobiec claimed anti-McCarthy Republicans were okay with handing “veto power over subpoenas to the Democrats in attempt to stop Kevin McCarthy.”
“Are there seriously people saying it’s ok to hand veto power over subpoenas to the Democrats in attempt to stop Kevin McCarthy? Bc I am not ok with the at at all. No, sir And I will name names if this continues,” Posobiec posted to Twitter.
It seems the veteran Navy intel officer was suggesting pushback against McCarthy is a coordinated move by anti-McCarthy Republicans to help Democrats.
Despite claiming he would “name names if this continues,” Posobiec backed off after Gaetz, an America First anti-McCarthy Florida rep., contested Posobiec’s threat was a “false premise.”
“This is a false premise, Jack. If you name names opposing McCarthy, start with mine,” Gaetz responded to Posobiec’s tweet.
This is a false premise, Jack.
If you name names opposing McCarthy, start with mine.
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 30, 2022
“Did I say anything about you?” Posobiec replied to Gaetz, backing down to the Florida rep. and backing away from his previous tweet where he pledged to “name names” of those who are against McCarthy.
A multitude of Posobiec’s 1.8 million Twitter followers threw their support behind Gaetz.
“McCarthy needs to go. Im with Gaetz on this one,” one user tweeted.
“The question is will McCarthy opt to hand veto power to the Dems. Gaetz is right to oppose him. Not close,” another Twitter user added.
With McCarthy needing 218 floor votes to win his House Speaker bid and Republicans holding 222 floor spots, if Gaetz and other House GOPers follow through with a “NO” vote against McCarthy, the California anti-Trumper will not be elected Speaker in January.
As National File previously reported, Rep. Bob Bood (R-Va.) believes at least a dozen Republicans are “hard no” votes on McCarthy:
“I believe we have at least a dozen or so… that will do what needs to be done on the House Floor to ensure that we get an improvement in the Speaker situation,” Rep. Bob Good told John Fredericks, a political radio host.
“You know he’s going to be making deals left and right, as we speak, he’s on the phone now making deals – that’s how he got MTG, right. [McCarthy] cut her a deal…but you’re telling me you got a dozen ‘hard nos’?” Fredericks asked Rep. Good.
“I believe…that there’s a dozen or so who will show the steel courage that’s needed…that will not be persuaded. I hope that it’s more because I will tell you John…we got five or six, [a] handful of freshmen [congressman] who’ve come in who’ve shown some real steely resolve, some real courage. Because, when you get here John, you’re told, and I’m in DC now…but pressure gets on those freshmen [congressmen] coming in, ‘hey you better be careful, you better watch out, don’t be part of the Freedom Caucus, you know, because then you’re gonna fall out of favor, you’re gonna have consequence, you’re not going to get committee assignments you want, you’re not going to get the money that you want, you’re not going…to be promoted by leadership.’” Rep. Good explained.
READ MORE: Rep. Bob Good Says A Dozen House Republicans Will Vote Against McCarthy For Speaker
McCarthy needs 218 floor votes to win the Speakership. With Republicans being expected to hold 222 floor spots, a dozen “hard no” votes against McCarthy will force the California representative to scramble for votes, potentially from Democrats.
House Republicans from the trump-wing of the GOP are pushing back against McCarthy over his anti-Trump, weak leadership. McCarthy has openly confessed he has no intention to impeach Biden during the next congressional session, despite having the ability to do so should he be Speaker.
McCarthy has also disappointed America First Republicans by offering no promise to restore the ability for Republicans to lead a “motion to vacate” the Speaker’s chair.
The “motion to vacate the chair” was removed by current Speaker Nancy Pelosi despite being a part of America’s legislature for decades.
As National File previously reported:
The “motion to vacate” rule formerly served as a check on the Speaker by his conference, in that it required the Speaker to enjoy serving at the pleasure of his conference, given that the motion to remove the Speaker could be brought to the floor by a single member of Congress.
With McCarthy adhering to Pelosi’s leadership standards, House Republicans would be unable to hold McCarthy accountable and let the establishment California rep. hold unchecked power over the House.
The House Freedom Caucus has called for a set of rule changes under a McCarthy Speakership.
An explanation of the Motion to Vacate the Chair can be found at the bottom of page 3 in this @HouseFreedomGOP Memo entitled
"RESTORING THE PEOPLE’S VOICE IN CONGRESS". pic.twitter.com/qNHawXF525— National File (@NationalFile) November 18, 2022
Speaking anonymously, in order to not seem like a Democrat, one Republican said:
“One subset lives in reality, the other subset does not,” a Republican member of Congress concerned about the Freedom Caucus said.
— National File (@NationalFile) November 18, 2022
Stay tuned to National File for any updates.
READ MORE: Exclusive: Laura Loomer Disavows MTG After Rep. Backs Anti-MAGA Saboteur McCarthy for Speaker