Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) dared his far-right colleagues in the House to try and oust him as speaker in an expletive-laden retort given during a closed-door GOP conference meeting Thursday.
“You guys think I’m scared of a motion to vacate. Go —- ahead and do it. I’m not scared,” McCarthy said to lawmakers, people in the meeting told The Washington Post.
McCarthy has sought to walk a fine line as House speaker, working to appease various factions of his conference and often bowing to far-right colleagues who hold the votes to possibly oust him as speaker should their demands not be met.
McCarthy was reportedly particularly frustrated with hard-liners blocking a defense appropriations bill. “I showed frustration in here because I am frustrated,” McCarthy said to reporters following his outburst in the meeting. “Frustrated with some people in the conference.” Read more at The Hill.
