Kevin McCarthy Claims Matt Gaetz Tricked Trump Into Nomination to Avoid Ethics Investigation

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) accused former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) of tricking President-elect Donald Trump into nominating him for attorney general in a bid to resign from Congress before an ethics investigation could reveal alleged sex crimes.

In a Sunday interview on Fox News, McCarthy reacted to Gaetz’s withdrawal as the nominee after reports surfaced that the House Ethics Committee had received testimony suggesting that Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old girl.

When asked by host Maria Bartiromo to respond to Gaetz’s decision to step down, McCarthy didn’t hold back. “I blame Matt Gaetz for lying to the [president-elect] about his ethics report,” McCarthy said, directly placing the blame on Gaetz for the situation.

McCarthy further suggested that Gaetz’s move to try to oust him as Speaker was linked to the impending ethics report. “People know that’s why he’s not capable of even staying in Congress,” McCarthy stated. “He needed an excuse to resign because the ethics report would be done in a couple of days.”

Despite the controversy surrounding Gaetz, McCarthy expressed optimism about the future of Congress. “But it’s a better Congress today of where they’re going forward,” he added, suggesting that the situation was ultimately an opportunity for the legislative body to move past the scandal.

McCarthy’s comments shed light on the tension between him and Gaetz, while also addressing the broader political implications of the ethics investigation.