• Florida firebrand Rep. Matt Gaetz, who is at the center of a GOP faction’s fight to block Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from becoming House speaker, said he will resign if Democrats come to McCarthy’s aid and also took a swipe at former President Donald Trump in a Fox News appearance Thursday.
• Gaetz is one of 20 Republicans who have so far refused to vote for McCarthy to inherit the speaker’s gavel from Nancy Pelosi after the GOP eked out a slim majority in the November midterms.
• On Thursday, McCarthy failed for an 11th time to get the necessary 218 votes to assume the role.

Tagged: Capitol Hill