“If we had stayed together in the meeting last night, I think that you would have seen fists thrown … There is a lot of raw emotions right now.”

— Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) says he supports the House taking the week to “decompress” before a Speaker vote pic.twitter.com/RSCkBx7U2y

— The Recount (@therecount) October 4, 2023

“Do you agree with Congressman McHenry’s decision… to put a pause to let tensions settle?” the host asked.

“Jake, I’ll be really candid,” Graves responded. “I think if we had stayed together in the meeting last night, I think that you would’ve seen fists thrown. And I’m not being dramatic when I say that. There is a lot of raw emotions right now. I think it was best to let folks go back home, decompress a little bit, and then come back together.”

[Gaetz criticized the move, but it was likely done for his benefit. There would have been no listening at all in the immediate aftermath of that stunt. A few days will allow tempers to settle, and also give potential replacements time to talk with the caucus and develop their arguments. In the heat of that moment, McCarthy’s supporters might just have demanded his restoration no matter what McCarthy himself wanted. — Ed]