Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) slammed Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) on the Thursday edition of his podcast, calling the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee “one of the most loyal lapdogs” for Washington lobbyists.
The Florida Republican also made cryptic remarks about Smith allegedly “living a lie.”
“See, Jason Smith has achieved power in Washington in a lot of the way[s] most people do,” Gaetz said. “You get money from the lobbyists and special interests, you in turn give that money to the party bosses for their political funds, and then they allow you to move up. And no question, Jason Smith has one of the most prime posts in the House of Representatives, chairing the Ways and Means Committee.”
Gaetz played a clip of Smith criticizing him for having voted to oust then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from his post earlier this month, thus kicking off a three-week drama in which it took four nominees to arrive at a new speaker. Smith was responding to Gaetz’s charge that McCarthy tried to thwart multiple Republican nominees for speaker.
“Let me just tell you, if Matt Gaetz’s lips are moving, it’s only lies that’s coming out of it,” Smith said. “That gentleman only loves to propel himself and propaganda. He sounds like a Democrat. It’s exactly what Democrats say. They accuse Donald Trump of everything that they’re doing. Matt Gaetz is accusing Kevin McCarthy for everything that he’s doing.”
Smith later added that Gaetz is “a foolish liar.” Gaetz ended the clip and responded with some suggestive remarks:
Jason Smith says if my lips are moving, I’m lying. Well, you know what? If Jason Smith is breathing, he is living a lie. There might not be another member of Congress who lives a lie every day more than Jason Smith. And Jason Smith knows exactly what I’m talking about. And by the way, so does almost every member of the House Republican caucus.
So, there’s a good deal of projection in Jason Smith calling me a liar when it’s Jason Smith, who literally has to live a lie. And I honestly pity him for that because you know, it wouldn’t be something that– I wouldn’t live that way. I’ll just put it that way. So, Jason, I would check yourself before you come at me with any accusations of being dishonest about what I say, when you’re dishonest about how you live and what you do.
Watch above via Firebrand with Matt Gaetz.
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