GOP speaker candidates pull out of Fox forum after fierce blowback

House speaker candidates have pulled out of a planned joint interview on Fox News next week just hours after it was announced amid fierce blowback from GOP lawmakers, the latest sign of how simmering tensions within the conference are boiling over as Republicans scramble to find a new leader following Kevin McCarthy's stunning ouster.

Both of the leading Republican candidates for speaker - Rep. Jim Jordan and Majority Leader Steve Scalise - backtracked from the plan to be interviewed jointly on Fox News with anchor Bret Baier from the Capitol next Monday after it had been announced by the network Friday morning. A third potential speaker candidate also said he would not participate in the forum.

A source familiar with the matter said Jordan and Scalise talked Friday and they agreed it wouldn't be wise, so the forum is now off.

A spokesperson for Fox News didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez of Florida told CNN on Friday morning the idea was not "productive," saying that the question of who should be speaker should be debated internally amongst Republicans - not broadcast for TV.

"It's a horrible idea," Gimenez said.

He also added he is now having second thoughts about the candidates and questioning their decision-making. "If both of them thought this was a good idea, then maybe they don't have a pulse of the conference," Gimenez said. "I'm having serious problems."