Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, referred to some of his fellow members as “scumbags” on Sunday, as GOP infighting reached unprecedented heights in the House.
On CNN’s “State of the Union,” Gonzales was asked if he thought House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., would survive an attempt to remove him from his leadership position. Last year, a handful of Republican rebels voted with Democrats to remove then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., has vowed to do the same with Johnson, effectively freezing the House for weeks.
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Gonzales was critical of his colleagues, particularly Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida.
“It’s my absolute honor to be in Congress, but I serve with some real scumbags,” Gonzales remarked, claiming that Matt Gaetz sexually molested youngsters “at drug parties.”
In 2021, the Justice Department launched an investigation into Gaetz for allegedly making monetary payments in exchange for sex, including to an underage female.
In 2023, the government dismissed charges against Gaetz after prosecutors cited reliability difficulties with two key witnesses. The House Ethics Committee continues to investigate him.
Gaetz responded to Gonzales’ Sunday statements in a post on X, accusing him of lying and urging voters to back his Republican opponent. Gaetz has frequently refuted the claims.
The Texas lawmaker also chastised Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., for backing his Republican opponent, Brandon Herrera, a gun rights enthusiast. Gonzales claimed Herrera is a “known neo-Nazi” and referenced the Ku Klux Klan.
It was unclear what Gonzales was referring to. Earlier this month, a Jewish insider alleged that Herrera had posted movies online with Nazi images. His campaign did not respond to Jewish Insider’s request for comment.
Herrera disputed Gonzales’ statements on Sunday, writing on X, “He has to cry to his liberal friends about me, because Republicans won’t listen anymore.”
Last year, the Republican Party of Texas decided to censure Gonzales for his opinions on a variety of issues, including his support for some gun safety regulations in response to the Uvalde school shooting.
Gonzales stated Sunday that more moderate members of Congress are “tired” and “exhausted.”
“For some reason, these fringe folks believe they have the upper hand. They don’t, I assure you,” he remarked, adding, “The way to deal with a bully is to bloody their nose.”
