Republican Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales ripped fellow GOP lawmakers Sunday on CNN after being questioned about opposition to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Gonzales appeared on “State of the Union” to discuss the House’s approval of a new foreign aid package pushed by Johnson, notably giving additional funding to Ukraine after some Republicans vocalized their disapproval. CNN host Dana Bash began by questioning Gonzales on the “confidence” he has that Johnson will remain as House Speaker until the end of his term, even after Georgia Republican Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene filed a motion to vacate at the end of March. (RELATED: House Bursts Into Pro-Ukraine Chant During Foreign Aid Vote)
“You voted yes on the foreign aid package. Do you have confidence that at this point, given that it is still possible that Marjorie Taylor Greene will push to vacate — to kick him out — of the speaker‘s chair that he can survive?” Bash asked.
“He will survive. Look, the House is a rough and rowdy place, but Mike Johnson is gonna be just fine. I served 20 years in the military. It‘s my absolute honor to be in Congress, but I serve with some real scum bags,” Gonzales stated.
Gonzales called out both Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz and GOP Virginia Rep. Bob Good for previous allegations, likening them to KKK members by making a “white hoods” reference.
“Look, Matt Gaetz — he paid minors to have sex with them at drug parties. Bob Good endorsed my opponent, a known neo-Nazi. These people used to walk around with white hoods at night, now they‘re walking around with white hoods in the daytime. What didn‘t surprise me [is] that some of these folks voted against aid to Israel, but I was encouraged to see by a nearly 10 to one mark that Republicans supported our allies on the battlefield,” Gonzales continued.
“Wow, okay. I should say that the federal government did look into Matt Gaetz and those allegations and they decided not to prosecute,” Bash responded.
The Department of Justice declined to file any charges against Gaetz in February 2023 after a year-long investigation into allegations that the representative had connections to a tax collector who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking a minor, identity theft and fraud in May 2021. Gaetz later revealed that he and his family were being extorted by Florida resident Stephen Alford, who attempted to secure $25 million from Gaetz’s father. Alford was later sentenced in August 2022 for roughly five years in prison.
While Johnson initially stated that Republicans would not support foreign funding unless the country’s southern border crisis was first addressed, the House passed $95.3 billion in aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan on Saturday. Although some Republicans, like Greene and Gaetz, opposed the bill, the House adjourned without forcing a vote on Johnson’s position, with Greene suggesting that her colleagues should first discuss the issue with their constituents.