Rep. Mike Rogers: 'I regret that I briefly lost my temper' with Matt Gaetz

Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., have apparently buried the hatchet after a tense moment on the House floor late Friday night, when Rogers was physically restrained from going after his colleague.

In a pair of Sunday tweets, Gaetz and Rogers exchanged warm words.

"We're going to work together wonderfully going forward," Gaetz wrote. "I don't think there should be any punishment or reprisal just because he had an animated moment. He has my forgiveness."

Rogers quoted Gaetz and added: "I regret that I briefly lost my temper on the House Floor Friday evening and appreciate Matt’s kind understanding."

The Friday night confrontation occurred as Gaetz and a small group of fellow hard-right lawmakers thwarted Rep. Kevin McCarthy's 14th attempt to become House speaker. Gaetz had emerged as a ringleader of the group, and issued fiery public denunciations of McCarthy, the GOP House leader supported by Rogers and the majority of their caucus.

In the scene captured by photographers and C-SPAN cameras, Rogers, in line to become the next chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, took a step toward Gaetz. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., held Rogers back from getting any closer to Gaetz.

Ultimately, McCarthy flipped enough votes among his GOP critics — including some, like Gaetz, who switched to vote "present" — to secure the speakership early Saturday morning.

In a Fox News interview, Gaetz said he looked forward to working with Rogers on the Armed Services Committee.

"Mike Rogers is going to be a terrific chairman," the Florida lawmaker said. "And of course, in a late-night moment of high drama, people can have moments of frustration."