Rep. Matt Gaetz
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) (Photo: Gage Skidmore)​

Fox News' Geraldo Rivera got into a heated debate on Thursday with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) over his repeated efforts to block Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from becoming Speaker of the House.

"What in the world were you and your 19 colleagues doing torturing the Speaker, your Speaker?" Rivera demanded to know. "What did you hope to attain?"

Gaetz responded by saying that he and other Republicans wanted certain concessions, such as the elimination of large all-or-nothing omnibus bills to fund the federal government so that they would be able to consider budgetary items separately.

Of course, McCarthy had already made that and other concessions to hardline House Republicans ahead of the House Speaker election earlier this month, and they still made him sit through 15 votes before he finally got enough to put him over the top.

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Rivera, however, accused Gaetz of only pretending to be a "thoughtful legislator" during his Fox News appearance, and he noted that Gaetz usually acts "flamboyant" in an attempt to get "publicity."

"I make a substantive argument about changes to the process and you call me flamboyant?" Gaetz thundered back.

Watch the video below or at this link.