House Republicans walk off the House floor in disgust during Matt Gaetz's latest speech
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) continued to be a thorn in Republican leader Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA) side on Friday and it was apparently too much for some of his fellow Republicans to stomach.
CBS News' Robert Costa reports that some House Republicans walked off the House floor in disgust as Gaetz got up to nominate Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) for House Speaker, even though Jordan himself is voting for McCarthy as House Speaker.
"I’m in speaker’s lobby and some members are cursing out Gaetz as they leave the floor," Costa reports on Twitter. “'I’m not listening to this [expletive]!' one House R says... others fuming and going outside to balcony to cool off."
Even though McCarthy picked off some rebel Republicans in his twelfth bid for the Speakership, it was still not enough to overcome defections from Gaetz, as well as Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), and others.
READ MORE: 'Embarrassing': Former Trump staffer unloads on Republicans over 'incredibly sad' in-fighting
McCarthy will now need to seek a 13th ballot to become Speaker, and it still isn't clear if he can make any concessions that will be able to win over his critics in the caucus.
Gaetz in particular has said he'd be willing to see Rep. Hakeem Jefferies (D-NY) become House Speaker if it means denying McCarthy the job.