McCarthy unloads on his GOP critics and says Mace deserves to lose reelection bid

Former House Speaker聽Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted in unprecedented fashion more than a month ago, railed on the Republicans who voted for his聽removal 鈥� and bluntly predicted that one of his detractors would lose reelection next year.

In an exclusive interview with聽CNN in his new office on Thursday, McCarthy said that GOP Rep. Nancy Mace聽of South Carolina聽didn鈥檛 deserve to be reelected in her聽competitive聽district next year 鈥� and he questioned the wisdom of his GOP critics for following the lead of Rep. Matt Gaetz聽of Florida, whom he accused of leading the charge out of retaliation for an ethics complaint he is facing.

McCarthy, who has kept his powder mostly dry since Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana won the speakership after a chaotic 22-day episode following his ouster, made clear Thursday that he hasn鈥檛 forgotten about the eight Republicans who voted to make him the first speaker in history to lose his job by a vote on the floor.

McCarthy referred to six of his GOP detractors as 鈥渄isruptors,鈥� and said he was particularly surprised that Mace and Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett joined Gaetz in the effort to oust him. And McCarthy said the Republican Party would benefit 鈥渢remendously鈥� if Gaetz was no longer a member of the House, saying there should be 鈥渃onsequences鈥� for his action.

鈥淧eople have to earn the right to be here. And I just think from 鈥� I mean he鈥檒l admit to you personally. He doesn鈥檛 have a conservative bent in his philosophy. And just the nature of what he focuses on,鈥� McCarthy said.

He said that it鈥檚 up to the conference if the House GOP should consider expelling Gaetz and added he doesn鈥檛聽鈥渂elieve聽the conference will ever heal if there鈥檚 no consequences for the action.鈥�

In response, Gaetz shot back.

鈥淭houghts and prayers to the former聽speaker as he works through his grief,鈥� Gaetz told CNN.

McCarthy also said he thinks Mace will lose聽reelection now and doesn鈥檛鈥渢hink聽she鈥檒l probably have earned the right to get reelected.鈥�

鈥淚f you鈥檝e watched her, just her philosophy, and the flip-flopping, I don鈥檛 believe she wins reelection,鈥� McCarthy said.

Mace, who is running for a third term next November, responded to McCarthy鈥檚 sharp criticism, saying that she鈥檚 more popular now than ever in her district as she touted her聽鈥渋ndependent聽voice鈥� and brushed aside the former speaker鈥檚 implication that she needs his money to win reelection.

鈥淚 mean, this was a guy who lied all the time, like every day. I mean, he told conservatives he was absolutely gonna impeach Joe Biden. Two hours later, the same day, told moderates that he would never impeach Joe Biden, a guy like that can鈥檛 lead our country. And we鈥檝e moved on to a much better speaker who鈥檚 honest and trustworthy and is going to tell the truth,鈥� she told CNN.

McCarthy, as speaker, never publicly ruled out impeaching Biden as he greenlit a formal inquiry.

Mace downplayed McCarthy鈥檚 past fundraising help in her previous runs.

鈥淚聽raise聽$6 million聽every two years for my reelection campaign. I know exactly how to raise money. I know exactly how to run聽鈥撀爓omen can run and women can win,聽Kevin McCarthy聽鈥撀爏urprise.鈥�

In the interview, McCarthy said he was surprised by Burchett as well, calling his vote to oust him 鈥渙ut of nature.鈥�

鈥淭hey care a lot about press, not about policy, and so they seem to just want the press and the personality,鈥� McCarthy said.

Asked to respond, Burchett said McCarthy was 鈥渂itter.鈥�

鈥淗e belittled my faith and I just, I didn鈥檛 see that as the type of person who needed to be in leadership,鈥� Burchett said聽聽he had with McCarthy ahead of the vote to oust him.

McCarthy has previously said he didn鈥檛 intend to offend the Tennessee Republican.

鈥淗e鈥檚 angry and I鈥檓 sure he鈥檒l be angry for the rest of his life, but I always, when people do something like he did I always wonder why they don鈥檛 look at themselves,鈥� Burchett said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always that they鈥檙e gonna blame somebody else.鈥�

Burchett added: 鈥淗e鈥檒l enter into a successful job in lobbying.鈥�

McCarthy says hard-right doesn鈥檛 have stomach to oust Johnson

In the interview, McCarthy said he thinks Johnson聽would be safe and not pushed out of the speakership, even if he relies on Democratic votes to avoid a government shutdown the way McCarthy did in September when the聽聽to keep the government funded until mid-November.

鈥淵ou get a honeymoon,鈥� McCarthy said on how Johnson won鈥檛 have to confront the same problems the former speaker had.

鈥淏ut it was personal, it was about an ethics complaint,鈥� McCarthy said, accusing Gaetz of leading the push to oust him over a House ethics probe he is facing. 鈥淎nd they can鈥檛 go through it again. I mean, think about how long it took last time. So do you think they would do that again? I don鈥檛 think聽鈥撀營 think that Democrats also realize that it wouldn鈥檛 be smart for the body itself.鈥�

McCarthy added: 鈥淲e鈥檙e gonna have to heal ourselves to be able to serve the people.鈥�

Asked what gave him the confidence that Republicans wouldn鈥檛 seek to oust Johnson, McCarthy responded:聽鈥淲ho are you going to replace him with?鈥�

This story has been updated with additional developments.

The-CNN-Wire