Trump, Gaetz to speak at same event in Florida just days after McCarthy ouster

Former President Donald Trump will appear at the same event as Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz in West Palm Beach next week, just days after the congressman staged a successful push to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Trump is slated to deliver remarks at an event hosted by the pro-Trump Club 47 USA, according to an invitation sent out by the Trump campaign. Gaetz, a right-wing congressman and ardent backer of the former president, is also expected to speak at the Oct. 11 event.

The venue — the Palm Beach County Convention Center — isn’t far from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club. But the decision to appear at the same event as Gaetz is notable, given that the Florida congressman riled other Republicans this week by spearheading a historic effort to remove McCarthy from his leadership post.

Gaetz has long cultivated a reputation as a conservative disruptor, often drawing the ire of members of his own party as a result. But his successful ouster of McCarthy on Tuesday raised that animosity to new levels, with some Republican members floating the idea of expelling Gaetz from Congress altogether.

Trump’s planned appearance at the Club 47 USA event serves as a stark reminder of the alliance between him and Gaetz, whom many Republicans see as a potential candidate for Florida governor in 2026.

Trump hasn’t said much about McCarthy’s removal from the speakership. In a post on his social media website Truth Social on Tuesday, he lamented the infighting among Republicans, but didn’t weigh in directly on where he stands on the no-confidence vote against McCarthy.

A spokesperson for Trump’s campaign noted that the speaker lineup for the event was set before Gaetz sought to remove McCarthy from his post.

This story was originally published October 4, 2023 at 6:25 PM.