[News Figures] 'Fighter' Matt Gates, the First in US History to Lead the Removal of the House Speaker

Entered Congress in 2017, Established as a Hardliner
"Running Because I Can't Trust Washington"... Ambition for Florida Governor

Republican hardliner Congressman Matt Gates (Florida·41), who led the unprecedented removal of the Speaker of the House in U.S. history, is drawing attention both inside and outside the United States. As the Republican Party appears to be heavily influenced by a small group of hardliners ahead of the U.S. presidential election, there are also predictions that Congressman Gates' position will grow even stronger in the future.

Republican Hardliner Congressman Matt Gaetz Photo by AFP Yonhap News

On the 2nd (local time), Gates submitted a resolution calling for the removal of Speaker Kevin McCarthy after the temporary budget bill pushed by McCarthy passed through Congress. The resolution was passed the next day, on the 3rd, with the support of the ruling Democratic Party and eight Republican hardliners. It was the first time in the 234-year history of the U.S. Congress that a Speaker of the House was removed.

Gates, who led the incident, was born in 1982 and is a lawyer-turned-politician. He almost began his political career in 2016 by declaring his candidacy for the same district as his father, Don Gates, who was a state senator representing Florida. However, he withdrew from the Senate race that year. The following year, in 2017, he ran for and won the Florida 1st Congressional District seat, entering Congress.

Gates describes himself as a "fighter." During his 2017 campaign, he stated, "I am not running because I want to go to Washington (Congress). I am running because I don't trust Washington," revealing his combative nature early on.

In fact, as a congressman, he established himself as a leading hardliner within the Republican Party. In January, during the election of the Speaker of the House, he forced 15 rounds of voting on McCarthy and secured a concession allowing even a single member to submit a motion to remove the Speaker. This made McCarthy vulnerable to the influence of a small group of far-right members throughout his term.

The bad blood between Gates and McCarthy did not start merely with the passage of the temporary budget bill to prevent a federal government shutdown. Since 2021, Gates has been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for allegations including prostitution, illegal drug use, and embezzlement. When the investigation resumed in July, Gates claimed that McCarthy was behind it.

Within the Republican Party, there are voices of criticism regarding this incident. Some members have reportedly prepared a proposal to expel Gates from the Republican Party.

Republican Congressman Mike Lawler (New York) told CNN, "(Gates) is like a spiteful child," adding, "He has no interest in governing. He only cares about gaining attention." Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden (Wisconsin) referred to Gates as "a man from Florida," saying, "He's just stupid. I don't want to be involved in his actions."

There is also speculation that Gates intends to use this incident as a stepping stone to realize higher political ambitions. The U.S. political media outlet Politico reported that Gates plans to declare his candidacy for governor following current Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in 2026, noting, "Many see his moves as an attempt to attract attention before 2026."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.