House Republicans 'have their fangs out' to expel 'hated' Matt Gaetz: report

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) infuriated allies of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) when he triggered a "motion to vacate" that led to the California Republican being ousted as House speaker. Gaetz, however, has expressed no regrets.

In fact, he has bragged about his role in McCarthy's fate, insisting that the "motion to vacate" underscores his commitment to the MAGA movement and America First ideology.

Moreover, Gaetz is on good terms with former President Donald Trump, which means a lot in 2023's Republican Party.

But Gaetz has made a lot of enemies in his party.

A USA Today report uncovers anti-Gaetz House Republicans who would like to see him suffer the same fate as former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) and be expelled from Congress.

"Several Republican House members, many of whom are still angry at Gaetz for his antics that have impeded McCarthy and the majority of the conference from passing legislation, have begun to discuss Gaetz's ongoing investigation by the House Ethics Committee in the wake of the expulsion of embattled former Rep. George Santos," according to the report.

"Leading up to Santos' expulsion, multiple opponents of his removal publicly voiced their concerns about expelling a member who had not yet been convicted of a crime, which would overturn the precedent set by Congress in modern times."

The House Ethics Committee, opened an investigation into Gaetz in 2021 to look into allegations that he “may have engaged in sexual misconduct.

Long dormant, the now-Republican-led committee this week signaled that it was ongoing by contacting a witness, CNN reported.

Gaetz was among the Republicans who voted against expelling Santos.

READ MORE: Why everyone hates Matt Gaetz

A House Republican who was interviewed on condition of anonymity told USA Today, "There were a number of people who voted to expel Santos with the express intent of thinking through the precedent there on what happens next. There was a lot of forethought about the precedent and what would happen when a report on Gaetz comes out."

Another House Republican, also quoted anonymously, told USA Today, "If there's anything in there that's bad, I can guarantee people will have their fangs out. He is hated in our conference. If he comes back as guilty in this ethics thing, I think he's in trouble."

READ MORE: 'Writing was on the wall': Social Media explodes over McCarthy’s bombshell resignation