‘You Can’t Sleep with Underage Women and Think You Can Get Away with It’: McCarthy Calls for Gaetz’s Prosecution in Explosive Moment

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy blasted longtime nemesis Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), saying that the lawmaker should be convicted of having sex with underage females.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice said it was declining to bring charges against Gaetz after it investigated whether he had sexual relations with a minor. Though criminal charges are seemingly off the table, Gaetz is the subject of a House Ethics Committee probe regarding possible sex trafficking. The committee has reportedly reached out to a woman, who was 17 at the time of an alleged sexual encounter with the congressman.

In October, Gaetz filed a motion to oust McCarthy as speaker that was ultimately successful. Gaetz alleged that he moved against McCarthy over broken promises, but the former speaker denies this and said Gaetz wanted him to quash the Ethics investigation, which he refused to do. The Floridian reportedly admitted as much to colleagues in private. Seven Republicans joined Gaetz and all House Democrats in voting to remove McCarthy.

McCarthy appeared on Sunday’s Inside Politics on CNN, where host Manu Raju asked if McCarthy’s opposition to the Republican insurgent is motivated by payback. McCarthy is backing Gaetz’s opponent in August’s primary.

“Why do you want him out?” Raju asked. “Is it simply because he led the charge?”

“No,” McCarthy insisted. “I just don’t think Gaetz is a conservative. I mean, if you think about it, if there’s anybody who should go to trial, I mean, Gaetz is one who should be convicted in a trial.”

“Why do you say that?” Raju asked.

“Well, we all know the challenge here,” McCarthy replied. “You can’t sleep with underage women and think you can get away with it.”

“He denies that,” Raju noted.

“Well, the women don’t,” he said. “And so there’s people in jail because of it.”

Former Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg was sentenced to 11 years in prison after admitting to a litany of crimes while providing information to the Department of Justice for its sex trafficking probe into the congressman.

In response to McCarthy’s comments on Sunday morning, Gaetz tweeted, Kevin McCarthy is a sad, broken man. I hope he gets help.”

Elsewhere in his interview with Raju, McCarthy slammed former President Donald Trump’s criminal conviction last week.

Watch above via CNN.

Have a tip for us? tips@mediaite.com