GOP infighting boils over as lawmaker rages against 'despicable coup' by 'fringe hostage takers'

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) had some fighting words for Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and his allies who successfully ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as House speaker this week.

Writing on X, Gimenez railed against rules adopted by House Republicans earlier this year that allow a single lawmaker to file a motion to vacate the speaker's chair.

In fact, Gimenez felt so strongly about this that he vowed to withhold his vote for any future speaker candidate until they pledged to scrap the rule.

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"I’m not supporting ANYONE for Speaker until there is a commitment to reform the Motion to Vacate," he said. "The coup against Speaker McCarthy was DESPICABLE & must never happen again. No one can govern effectively while being threatened by fringe hostage takers."

Many Republicans have expressed fury at Gaetz and seven other Republicans who voted to give McCarthy the boot this week after they supported a motion to vacate that was supported by all Democrats in the House of Representatives.

The GOP is now in for a time-consuming leadership fight, with Reps. Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Jim Jordan (R-OH) already signaling their intentions to run.

Some Republicans within the hardliner caucus, however, have started a push to hand the gavel to former President Donald Trump despite the fact that he has been indicted in four different jurisdictions on 91 felony counts.