“My conversations with the former president leave me with great confidence that I did the right thing,” Gaetz told reporters.

Trump advisers, though, had their doubts.

“I point you to President Trump’s Truth from earlier today,” adviser Chris LaCivita said.

Another Trump adviser also directed NBC News to the Truth Social post.

“Let’s hear Trump say that,” a Trump ally said after hearing Gaetz’s words.

The ally, though, added: “By Matt coming out and saying what he just said, the president owns this, whether he likes it or not.”

[Trump had lamented Republican-on-Republican attacks, surely one of the more hypocritical statements Trump has made of late. No one bought that, and few will buy this argument, either. McCarthy had dragged his feet on an endorsement in the presidential race, mainly because leadership usually doesn’t take positions in contested primaries, although McCarthy has been very solicitous of Trump. Gaetz didn’t quite say that Trump supported the move, but he certainly strongly suggested that was the case, and it seems unlikely that Gaetz would have done this if Trump opposed it. — Ed]