Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has added a new name to the Speaker of the House battle, voting for President Donald Trump on the 7th ballot.
During the vote Thursday, Gaetz stated, on the record, that he was casting his vote for “Donald John Trump.”
WATCH:
My vote for Speaker of the House today?
Donald John Trump. pic.twitter.com/ajFdcHVPM5
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) January 5, 2023
Gaetz recently told Fox News that Trump’s support of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was “sad.”
However, he noted that his vote against McCarthy, who Trump backed, doesn’t change his opinion of the 45th president.
“This changes neither my view of McCarthy, nor Trump, nor my vote,” Gaetz said at the time.
Despite the fighting, Trump said all will be well because the process is making the GOP stronger:
“I actually think that a big Republican VICTORY today, after going through numerous Roll Calls that failed to produce a Speaker of the House, has made the position & process of getting to be Speaker BIGGER & MORE IMPORTANT than if it were done in the more traditional way.
“Much like me again becoming President after having won big in 2016.”
.@RepMattGaetz votes for former President Donald Trump for Speaker of the House. #118thCongress pic.twitter.com/VCQgi0bgLA
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 5, 2023
According to Axios:
“This is a break from the unified faction of 20 House Republicans who’d been voting for Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Florida) and blocking GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy from winning the speakership.
“Nothing in the Constitution requires the speaker to be a sitting member of Congress, though that has been the case throughout U.S history.”
BREAKING: Matt Gaetz has just voted for President Trump as Speaker of the House
— Rogan O’Handley (@DC_Draino) January 5, 2023
