Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) blamed Democrats after he gave Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) the power to oust him.
During an interview on Meet the Press, host Kristen Welker pointed out that McCarthy had been removed as speaker because he allowed a single member to bring a motion to "vacate the chair."
"I hear you invoking Democrats," Welker said. "I understand why the reality, though, is, as you know, Republicans control the House. Does this not come down to Matt Gaetz ultimately moving to oust you?"
"And therefore, do you bear some responsibility for this, Mr. Speaker, for agreeing to give him the deal in the first place to be able to remove you with just one vote?" she asked.
McCarthy insisted Democrats were at fault because they had voted for House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (R-NY) instead of him. He also suggested Gaetz had ousted him over an ethics complaint.
"He has chosen with no plan, concerned about an ethics complaint that was registered against him in the last Congress, to try to go and move and shut it down," McCarthy opined. "This is a wrong approach. It's brought chaos. The Democrats went along with it, and they have blame too."
"I'll take whatever blame needed," he added. "But if the blame is on me for keeping government open and voting for the troops, I would do that again tomorrow."
