Greenlighting an investigation into biden without any evidence of wrongdoing. And in moments, ill speak with the throne and mccarthys side, that is republican Congressman Matt Gaetz who is threatening to oust the speaker, in part over this issue. But first, some context. Republicans want to know if President Biden benefited from his sons business dealings. And that is a legitimate question. But the doj did spend here is investigating hunter biden, and so far there has been no evidence that his father did benefit. Meantime, House Republicans and their investigations have presented zero direct evidence to contradict that. Also, mccarthy is to invest now unilaterally without even a vote, even though Kevin Mccarthy himself from 11 days ago disagreed with that method. Quote, if we move forward with an Impeachment Inquiry, it would occur for a vote on the floor of the peoples, house not for a declaration by one person. And just four years ago, mccarthy attacked democrats for doing the same. Both on twitter and right here on camera. Speaker pelosi happens to be the speaker of this house, but she doesnt speak for america when it comes to this issue. She cannot decide unilaterally what happens here. She cannot change the laws of this congress. She cannot unilaterally decide when an Impeachment Inquiry and just summit on, that the then speaker, nancy pelosi, she did eventually hold a vote on an Impeachment Inquiry. So why is Mccarthy Caving now . Well perhaps because of congressman from florida, matt gaetz. I rise today to serve notice. Mister speaker, you are out of compliance with the agreement that allow you to assume this role. The path forward for the House Of Representatives is to either bring you into immediate total compliance or remove you. So youll remember that nasty Speaker Election Back in january. One of the many concessions that mccarthy made thin to the farright of his party was to make it easier to boot him from his own job. Joining me now is Congressman Matt Gaetz. Hes a member of the house judiciary committee. Thanks for being here, congressman. First, i want to start with this. Your making some pretty serious threats against Speaker Mccarthys speakership. But lets be honest, it sounds like you dont have the votes. The vote for what, i . Heavy to remove mccarthy . I acknowledge that. And i would suggest that when we first had the contest for speaker, neither did he. But over the course of 15 ballots, it is amazing what can happen. So, look. My job is to ensure the deal we made in january isnt forest. It is not about impeachment, specifically, its about oversight. Brooks possibly spending. Mccarthy committed to have 12 individual Appropriations Bills passed. We dont see on pace to do. That and im deeply concerned that he hasnt been faithful to the commitment. If you do truckers this motion to vacate, and it does fail, as it sounds like you think it, well dont these threats and up losing all credibility moving forward . It had a good deal of credibility today. Announced last evening im making a speech at noon today and in somewhat of a rushed fashion, the speaker gave a speech at 11. While that was a baby step, i think in the right direction, it certainly is not linked to the concerns we have about spending, government funding, running out, and the passing of a continuing resolution that advances a lot of the goals and priorities that republicans run. So do you think that mccarthy should shut down the government to save his job here . I dont think the choice is one or the other. I think there are certainly agencies of government, like the Department Of Education and department of labor, probably a few others, that ought to be willing to get rid of in petite large fashion and to both those powers to the states and reorganize them. But if we just had compliance, with a vote on term limits, a vote on a balanced budget, individuals pinnacled, i do think Speaker Mccarthy could save his job and even face a motion to vacate if he came into compliance with our deal. But dealing with the Spending Issue here. The government will shut down if congress doesnt come up with this been a deal. He wants Speaker Mccarthy, it sounds, like to defund a whole swath of the federal government. I think you would agree that is probably, the chances of that happening are pretty much zero. So at the end of the, day at the end of the day youre basically asking mccarthy to do something he simply cannot do unilaterally if he doesnt have the votes. Abby, i would zoom out and say this is what we cannot do. We cannot have a government that continues to have two trillion dollars annual deficit. And while i acknowledge are in divided government, at least the House Of Representatives, representing the republican position, should be willing to tweeze through the various programs reflected in agency budget, and we ought to have open roads and open amendments. Even some of my democratic colleagues, during our Speaker Contest in general, agreed the reforms we were seeking would actually democratize power in the House Of Representatives for everyone, and i would hope that would remain the standard no matter which party was in control. But you attempted to kind of use the same sort of leverage when it came to the budget deal earlier this year. But your account, you have criticized Kevin Mccarthy for being a part of the deal with the white house. It sounds like that leverage just simply didnt work. What makes you think that this time will be any difference . Im concerned at one. Beirut, it was a Cascading Failure of the 118th congress that we did a date limit deal that underwrote a series of Pet Decisions and didnt provide any wins for the Republican House in divided government. I would argue its also a failure for your trilogy to use yeah i didnt work to put pressure on Kevin Mccarthy, so what are you doing the same thing over and over again . Im going to do it over and over again until it works. And today we saw baby step to work that with more robust efforts on impeachment. But im going to keep doing it. And it minority, firsttime i dont currently premise that it would never work, because the American People want term limits. That one balanced budget. They took to see government funded wrapped up in just one up or down vote on an omnibus bill or consume resolutions. Overtime, i think the American People cant get their lawmakers to act more like representative of the rv put, and not just volleys for the lobbyists and Special Interest to control washington. Youre blaming mccarthy for taking baby steps. He said that he would open an Impeachment Inquiry, but your colleagues including Congressman Ken Buck have said there is no evidence linking President Biden to these allegations. Listen to what he just had 50 minutes ago on cnn. I have not seen any of it had some links to link hunter biden to Hunter Bidens activities i think its a mistake to slip talking about an Impeachment Inquiry, i think its a good thing for talking about voting it on the floor because weve got a lot of work to do positive or 30th and ever a government shutdown. I mean, he makes an important point. That in addition to what he said there, there are enough votes to support an Impeachment Inquiry into President Biden. And yet you continue to push Speaker Mccarthy on that. Why is he wrong when, i think, the numbers are frankly on his side . Well, lets take the votes. I think it is an illusion of washington that you cant put anything on the floor if its not going to pass. I actually think our Representative Republic would be more vibrant if we had more votes that were not always just predetermined, right . And so if we put an Impeachment Inquiry on the floor and it didnt pass, will then, the people who didnt vote for it would have to be responsive to their voters. Thats the way this whole thing works. And while ken buck and a historic disagreement on the quality of the evidence against, robin its interesting, hes one of my strongest allies on the spin it matters. So we can disagree on impeachment, we cant agree on spending. It shows the issues are not particulate lint. As to the quality of evidence, i have to say, we have bank records, devices, laptops, travel records, changes in admonition policy, seems like parties evidence to. May not of which linked President Biden it was joe it none of which he was caught and is amazing. Abby, are you trying to tell your viewers you dont believe joe biden was involved and hunter biden congressman, its not what i believe, its about whether there is evidence that President Biden is linked to the misdeeds that might be linked to hunter biden. Thats the issue. That was tortured. I want no, but can you just acknowledge it calls into the business deals, hes involved . When he calls Empathy Dinners this is not about. This is not about anyone, its not about what i believe. Its a question. Do you have evidence . If you had evidence that joe bidens links to Hunter Bidens business deals in a way that is illegal, we wouldnt be having this conversation. It would probably have the votes for an Impeachment Inquiry, but you dont. Because of people like ken buck, and people like don bacon, and many others in your conference. I see the evidence differently. I think we need to have the votes and have the debates and heavy hearings. And again, they represent their constituents just like the representment. Even in my remarks before, today i disclaim and acknowledge all the crossing. But when we just bundle it up and act as if this bottom family corruption isnt happening and were not going to be anything about, than americans of all stripes start to lose faith in the oversight capabilities of congress and really in the Impeachment Power it gives us, the checks and balances the missouri. There are eight of members who murray, and republicans, who are worried that by starting an Impeachment Inquiry to try to find evidence that you probably should have before you start the inquiry, you cheapened process. Chris christie said something very similar this week. Chris christie, gosh, i stopped taking advice from him on this when recommending Christopher Wray for jobs on the substance, you want to talk about how long weve had the evidence . The fbi had Hunter Bidens laptops in 2019. This inquiry isnt just going to be into the bidens and the bad things theyve, done its also going to be into the coverup. If you have the evidence. It was to posing people today, today i was asking questions about the roles of foreign Interference Test foolish to go and does admit any derogatory information about the bidens. Congressman, let me that was part of the coverup let me just move on here because im going to reiterate to the audience. Because we need to be clear. There is no evidence linking President Biden to anything illegal havent to do with hunter biden. However, i want to ask you about what congresswoman his business dealings, thats my key let me ask, you know, no, no. Its about im just. There is no evidence linking President Biden to anything illegal that you are alleging about hunter biden. Congressman getting the ukrainian prosecutors fired says that you and other, you, know maga members of the congress our bully moderates. She considers herself to be a moderate. In effect, by putting a lot of republican held seats in jeopardy next year. Are you concerned about that as you plot this strategy of having countless votes on things that you have just acknowledged in this interview you dont have the votes for . I think we should have countless votes, even if we lose. And i dont think thats little italy. I think that little thing. I think thats what can send off some of the rough edges of the policy and procedural choices we have to run the country. If there are members of congress who think that taking tough votes is bullying, i guess they shouldnt have run for the position. And, here . There are going to be some people who are gonna be in a tough spot. But their constituents deserve to know with our. And frankly, i think that comes with being a member of the United States congress. Last question before i let you go. What does donald trump, who you know, youre a close ally, of does he support ousting Kevin Mccarthy as speaker . I dont know. I havent asked. Him but make sure to let him know youre interested in the question. All right, Congressman Matt Gaetz, thanks for joining me tonight. Thank you, abby. All right, lets discuss this with cnn political commentator and former Trump White HouseCommunications Director illicit throughout griffin. Also with us as senior political analyst john. Melissa, lets start with you. Your reaction to matt gaetz staying holding countless votes heinous will fail is little thating. A lot of what hes saying is confident are. He wants to have a full appropriations process, opened the house floor, while having an ongoing speaker battle that may go through multiple ballots. Congress can probably keep the lights on, so where he thinks hes gonna be able to do all this, when the government is such a run out of money, is beyond me. But listen, hes putting Kevin Mccarthy and an untenable position. He basically has two jobs. Keep his speakership and keep his majority, and they seem to be running in direct conflict with each other. John, he seems to be spending any sort of leverage he might have right now before we even get to the spending deadline. Were looking, potentially, at government shutdown. We are. But instead, congress is focused on impeachment. I believe ballots for the evidence. This as i could illustration it is about hyperpartisanship. Extremists hijacking the process returns. And Kevin Mccarthy having to placate his base, even when theyre trying to push against anything resembling precedence or for the front of the. This is not on the same moral particle universe as some of the other matt gaetz would be the first to complain about how it was handled under President Trump and it actually wasnt like this. There is a vote than there is evidence. Theres a lot of evidence and it occurred, and thats the problem. The protesting against awaits done. Already the doj as you put it earlier this month and suddenly hes abandoning that because even want folks to take a tough vote. Before you jump in, i want to get something that just landed tonight. Washington post columnist just wrote a column saying that biden and Vice President harris should not run for reelection in 2024. I just england relittle part of it because i think this is really surprising. He is somebody who, frankly, biden listens to. He says that voters are concerned about bidens age and because of their concerns about bidens age, voters would sensibly focus on his presumptive running mate, harris. She is less popular than biden, with a 39. 5 Approval Rating and harris has many laudable qualities, but the simple fact is she has failed to gain traction in the country or even within her own country. Pretty strong words about bidens age and his view of harris. The reality is this. This article is going to send shockwaves, i think we all know that. 73 of americans according to cnns own polling think that bidens age is an issue you would be our oldest president in history. I think what the democrats did extremely effectively midterms is argue the democracy case. The importance of democracy and not electing election deniers, but the undermined that argument when they put up two candidates who, head to head, in some polls, joe biden is losing to donald trump or if anything it is biden just a hair that he is winning. The biggest single obstacle this the age factor and pair that with who is largely unpopular Vice President i think that ignatius is right here. This is a body blow to the Biden White House because of how respected davids. He somebody who has seen as an ally. Somebody to talk to. Absolutely. This is about age, perception, vigor, the Vice President and david is saying these things in the washington post, in an indelible fashion. This is not somebody who is really considered at gad fly. Somebody who, even going back to the obama years, has courted by both obama and then Vice President joe biden. John an