CNN dropped an article Monday headlined “High-profile Republicans head for the exits amid House GOP dysfunction,” and they point to 23 GOP lawmakers who resigned early or have opted not to seek reelection. The list includes former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (CA), who resigned in January after he lost his speakership, and Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, who’s also chosen to step down.

McCarthy specifically pointed to Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as the cause of some of the departures:

“It’s unfortunate because you think of the brain trust you are losing. I blame a lot of the ‘crazy eights’ led by Gaetz. They want to make this place dysfunctional to try to wear people out,” McCarthy said, speaking to reporters in the Capitol recently. “It’s very sad … It makes it more difficult for getting people to run in the current climate.”

If Matt Gaetz’s feelings were hurt, he didn’t show it – in fact, he posted a defiant tweet celebrating the exits of some of those he doesn’t feel are fighting for the conservative cause:

“I love this @cnn article,” Gaetz wrote on X. “The fundamental premise is that I’ve made congress so miserable for so many members that they are leaving. Wonderful! We can’t save America with the current Republican team. We have to get tougher and smarter.”

I love this @cnn article.

The fundamental premise is that I’ve made congress so miserable for so many members that they are leaving.

Wonderful!

We can’t save America with the current Republican team. We have to get tougher and smarter. We need newer, bolder voices in the…

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) February 19, 2024

We need newer, bolder voices in the House.

But he didn't stop there, instead taking a shot at McCarthy and other Republicans who he doesn't think are fighting for the conservative cause.

“If you want to be a Paul Ryan / Kevin McCarthy Republican – THEY DON’T WORK HERE ANYMORE!” Gaetz continued. 

“The ‘institutional knowledge’ I’m accused of wiping out is often knowledge your lawmakers acquire to enrich themselves, trade stocks and sell out We the People.”

Gaetz was instrumental in lobbying for House members to vacate McCarthy's speakership in October of 2023. Clearly, the bad blood remains between the two.

Gaetz also has other critics of his tactics:

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), a McCarthy ally, told CNN he thought being part of the majority in the House would be different, saying, “I thought that some of our members would be smarter.”

“A lot of us are frustrated with what’s going on, and that’s just being flat-out honest,” he added, according to CNN. “It’s foolish. And it’s been proven to be foolish. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

Gaetz, however, is not sympathetic to those viewpoints. He concluded his tweet by doubling down on his efforts and asking GOP voters to send him more help:

The next phase of our plan is to REPLACE the droves of retiring members with America First Patriots.

Republican primary voters must do their part. 

We have a great nation to save.

Send me more backup! 

Turns out that getting the majority in the House wasn't the hard part -- achieving consensus is proving to be awfully difficult too.