Rep. Tony Gonzalez, R-Texas, berated his fellow Republicans on CNN on Sunday after being asked about his opposition to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Mr. Gonzalez appeared on “State of the Union” to discuss House approval of a new foreign aid package pushed by Mr. Johnson, which would give extra money to Ukraine, among other things, after some Republicans voiced disapproval. We discussed. CNN host Dana Bash first asked Gonzalez about his “confidence” that Johnson will remain speaker of the House until the end of his term, even after Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene filed a motion to resign in late March. Asked. (Related: House intruded into pro-Ukrainian chants during foreign aid vote)
“You voted yes on the foreign aid package. Given that there is still a possibility that Marjorie Taylor Greene will be asked to step down, or be evicted, from the speaker’s chair, I am not confident at this point that he will survive. Is there?” Bash asked.
“He will survive. Look, the House of Representatives is a rough and rowdy place, but Mike Johnson will be fine. I served in the military for 20 years. It’s a great honor to be in Congress, but I’m a real We have some scumbags sitting in Congress,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez criticized both Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz and Republican Rep. Bob Good of Virginia for past allegations, comparing them to KKK members by referring to “white hoods.”
“Look, Matt Gaetz, he paid minors to have sex at drug parties. Bob Good supported my opponents, known as neo-Nazis.” I was walking around wearing a white hood, but now I’m walking around wearing a white hood even during the day.I’m not surprised. [is] While some of these people voted against aid to Israel, we were heartened to see that by a nearly 10-1 mark, Republicans supported our allies on the battlefield.” Mr. Gonzalez continued.
“Wow, I get it. I have to say that the federal government investigated Matt Gaetz and those allegations and decided not to prosecute,” Bash responded.
The Justice Department conducted a year-long investigation into allegations that the Gates representative had an affair with a tax collector who pleaded guilty in May 2021 to sex trafficking of minors, identity theft, and fraud. Later, in February 2023, he declined to press charges against Gates. It was revealed that Gates and his family were being blackmailed by Steven Alford, a Florida resident who tried to secure $25 million from Gates’ father. Mr. Alford was subsequently sentenced to approximately five years in prison in August 2022.
The House of Representatives on Saturday passed $95.3 billion in aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, although Johnson initially said Republicans would not support foreign funding unless the southern border crisis was first addressed. Some Republicans, like Mr. Greene and Mr. Gaetz, opposed the bill, but Mr. Greene suggested that his colleagues first discuss the issue with their constituents, allowing them to vote on Mr. Johnson’s position. The House of Representatives adjourned without force.
