'I'm not scared': Kevin McCarthy calls Matt Gaetz's bluff in defiant speech to caucus

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) all but dared Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to oust him during a defiant speech on Thursday morning.

As reported by Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman, McCarthy expressed frustration at members of his conference for being unwilling to pass a must-pass bill to fund the military, as well as the willingness of some members to push for shutting down the federal government.

"If you think we have more leverage in a shutdown, I don't think that," he said. "You give all the power to the administration... Our power is if we pass appropriations bills and make Democrats defend their votes.”

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According to Politico's Olivia Beavers, McCarthy then took a shot at any Republican threatening to file a motion to vacate the chair and remove him from the speakership.

"Do you think I’m afraid of motion to vacate?" McCarthy said, according to one of Beavers' sources. "Go ahead I’m not f*cking scared of it. Any new Speaker will do what I’m doing."

Even though McCarthy relented to demands from Gaetz and others this week to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, Gaetz still responded by issuing a fresh threat to McCarthy's leadership.