Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy said on Wednesday evening that "no one believed" former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., would ever become attorney general and that the House Ethics Committee report on Gaetz should be released.

“I blame Matt for lying to the president, because Matt needed to get out of Congress before the ethics report came out on Friday, I don't believe he told President Trump that," McCarthy said on NewsNation. "So, Matt wanted an out."

McCarthy, who was ousted from the speakership in October 2023 after Gaetz led an effort to vacate chair, said Gaetz needed an excuse to resign from Congress.

"Remember the whole reason I am not speaker today, because Matt wanted me to stop the ethics report because he had slept with a 17-year-old and that was coming forward, and he needed a way out. I think lying to the president wasn't right on Matt's behalf," he said.

McCarthy said the ethics report on Gaetz should be released for the sake of transparency, given that Gaetz might seek another public office.

“It should be. Matt's biggest bill in Congress was to have…stock trades transparency. He always argues about transparency, and if he says he hasn't done this, why don't you clear his name? Put the report out there then," he said.

"Wouldn't he want to clear his own name? So put the report out, have transparency, especially if Matt says he wants to run for another office. I think the public should know what the truth is," he added.