Rep. Matt Gaetz said Thursday that he believes two or three House Republicans could be willing to be “bought off” to retire or resign and hand control of the House to left-wing Democrats.
Appearing on the Real America’s Voice network with host Grant Stinchfield, the Fort Walton Beach Republican admitted that it was “uncomfortable” to talk about some Republicans selling out as the GOP now holds a one-vote majority.
Gaetz acknowledged that when he led the charge last year to dump former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, he believed the GOP would maintain control “no matter what,” despite having just a then-slim four-vote advantage.
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Today, as some GOP lawmakers have headed for the exits, he has doubts. The GOP holds a 218-213 majority, with four vacant seats.
But that also means it takes 216 votes to reach a majority.
“I believe there are two or three Republicans that could get bought off or paid off to switch, to retire, to resign, to feign some sort of health problem so that Democrats would be in control,” Gaetz said.
“Not a lot. But there might be a small handful of Republicans who are financially compromisable, or compromisable on other terms in order to get a Democratic speaker of the House.”
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“That would be intolerable and it might be the last election we have,” Gaetz added.
Gaetz then argued that the Democrats would waste no time becoming the election-deniers.
“If Democrats got control of the speakership, I believe they would refuse to seat President [Donald] Trump, even after a lawful and valid election for him for president of the United States,” Gaetz said.
“That’s how big the stakes are. That’s how much of an enemy to democracy House Democrats really have shown to be, trying to deem Trump an insurrectionist and not allow him to be a choice for the people of our country who want a return to the prosperity at home and the peace around the world that President Trump provided.”
Gaetz added that he believes “grave danger” exists in a motion to vacate the speakership of House Speaker Mike Johnson, such as filed by Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Gaetz saw hope in Trump’s possible re-election.
Trump, he said, may help bring in more Republicans, even for some who don’t deserve to be re-elected.
But if that happens, the GOP needs fresh blood who can create a “fighting force.”
“My hope is that with President Trump as the clarion leader in the White House, we’ll stiffen the spines of some of those who have gone weak on us lately,” said Gaetz.
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