Matt Gaetz calls Kevin McCarthy 'desperate' amid bid to become House speaker

Matt Gaetz has called Kevin McCarthy a “desperate guy” after his sixth consecutive failure to be elected House speaker within two days.

The Florida Republican roasted Mr Gaetz in a hallway surrounded by a small group, saying he keeps “squatting in the Speaker’s office.”

“He’s a desperate guy whose vote share is dropping with every subsequent vote,” the 40-year-old said of the longtime GOP leader.

Mr Gaetz, alongside Lauren Boebert and Scott Perry, is among a group of far-right conservatives opposing Mr McCarthy’s bid.

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