Gaetz: Potentially losing House seat "absolutely" worth it to oust McCarthy

• Gaetz's efforts to remove McCarthy, backed by seven other House Republicans, have garnered much criticism, as Congress only has until mid-November to avert a government shutdown and efforts toward any legislation will be hampered until a new speaker is chosen.

What he's saying: "Look, I am here to fight for my constituents. And I'm here to ensure that America is not on a path to financial ruin," Gaetz said on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday.

• "The voters of Florida's First Congressional District sent me here with about 70% of the vote. So I think that anyone trying to kick me out of Congress because they didn't like me would have a bone to pick with them," he said.

Gaetz also justified his ousting attempts, saying McCarthy's removal stemmed from the California congressman making "multiple contradictory promises to people that ultimately could not be reconciled."

• Across party lines, Gaetz said Democrats and House Republicans "on the conservative side of our caucus" did not trust McCarthy.

• "And that ultimately led to us making a decision to move forward with someone new," Gaetz said.

Zoom out: Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) announced their bids for House speaker this past week.

• House Republicans will hold their candidate forum on Tuesday, followed by an internal election on Wednesday.
• Gaetz did not specify which candidate he would vote for but said he would vote for whoever has the most support.

Go deeper: Gaetz's speeches against McCarthy hand Democrats fresh campaign material