Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo cut off Republican South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace Thursday for calling former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy “disgraced.”
Mace, one of eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy, said she opposed Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s motion to vacate attempting to remove McCarthy’s successor, House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“Oh, I don’t support the motion to vacate the chair. In fact, the motion that was filed wasn’t privileged and so we’re actually not even going to vote on it. And so Mike Johnson was dealt a bad hand. The former speaker — disgraced former speaker — set up a lot of bad deals —” Mace said.
“Kevin McCarthy is not disgraced. Congresswoman, Kevin McCarthy is not disgraced,” Bartiromo interjected.
“I consider him disgraced, absolutely,” Mace replied.
“Why?” the Fox Business host asked. (RELATED: Kevin McCarthy Says Nancy Mace Has Not ‘Earned The Right’ To Win Reelection)
“Because he wouldn’t tell the truth to the party, to the conference. He lied over and over again —” the congresswoman said.
“Come on, that’s not provable,” Bartiromo said. “That’s not provable that he lied.”
Mace argued McCarthy “recruited a puppet,” referring to Catherine Templeton, to run against her in the Republican primary and argued she is unable to win a purple district in a general election.
Bartiromo pressed her on when congressional Republicans will unite to hold onto their slim majority.
“Right. I agree, which is why Kevin McCarthy shouldn’t go after fellow Republicans that can win in general elections in purple seats,” Mace said.
“He’s not even there yet and you’re still blaming Kevin McCarthy,” Bartiromo argued.
The eight Republicans joined every congressional Democrat to vote in favor of removing McCarthy in October, when Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz filed a motion to vacate. The motion followed McCarthy’s deal with President Joe Biden to pass a resolution and keep the government open.
After several rounds of nominations and three weeks of a vacant chair, Johnson finally obtained the gavel in an Oct. 25 vote. Many House Republicans were angered by Johnson bringing forth the $1.2. trillion spending bill for a floor vote to fund the remainder of the U.S. government for the 2024 fiscal year. The bill passed in the House with a 286-134 vote.
Greene called the legislation “a Chuck Schumer, Democrat-controlled bill coming from the ‘Republican-controlled’ House” in her speech March 22.