The Republicans at the 2024 Republican National Convention have been promoting a theme of unity this week.
Matt Gaetz seems to have missed the memo.
The Florida congressman, among the speakers scheduled for Day 3 of the convention in Milwaukee, initiated a confrontation on Tuesday with his long-time adversary, former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Gaetz, who spearheaded the campaign to remove McCarthy from his position last year, approached McCarthy on the convention floor at Fiserv Forum and taunted him about not having a speaking role.
“You would get booed off the stage,” Gaetz told the California Republican.
McCarthy, who was engaged in an interview at the time, likely had no time for Gaetz’s provocations.
However, a bystander witnessed the encounter and decided to respond.
“Shut up, Gaetz,” the man interjected. “Don’t be an ass—-.”
Gaetz, who seemed to enjoy dishing out provocations, did not appreciate being called out.
“Dude, I don’t even know who you are,” Gaetz retorted as they faced off.
“It doesn’t matter; don’t be an ass—-,” the man reiterated.
Gaetz then walked away.
He later told The Hill that McCarthy “was saying something very untrue and nasty about me to CNN. So, this is a convention floor. I thought it’d be OK to convene a little bit.”
Gaetz is set to be one of the early speakers at the RNC on Wednesday night between 6 and 6:30 p.m.
The altercation between Gaetz and McCarthy also drew the attention of Wisconsin’s U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who has been making his own headlines at the RNC this week.
Van Orden, who is at the convention but not scheduled to speak, accused an anti-war protester of assault during a downtown Milwaukee incident.
Although Van Orden did not mention Gaetz by name in a social media post, it is evident he was referring to Gaetz when he called him a “little (expletive).”
Not exactly a picture of unity.