Other House Republicans have suggested that they are dissatisfied with McCarthy over both his statements during the phone call as well as his response to the recording’s release. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), a staunch Trump ally, has sent several tweets criticizing McCarthy in recent days.
“I never said it to his face; I only said it behind his back,” Gaetz said in a Sunday tweet mocking a video of McCarthy explaining his comments about Trump. Gaetz added the hashtag “#Leadership.”
But Gaetz also suggested that the episode isn’t likely to damage McCarthy’s ambitions of becoming speaker if Republicans retake the House.