GOP turns on Gaetz as House in turmoil after McCarthy ousting – latest

Republicans are starting to turn on Matt Gaetz after he ousted Kevin McCarthy as speaker, plunging the House of Representatives into turmoil.

The Florida congressman has long been the subject of a House Ethics Committee exploring allegations including sexual misconduct and misuse of funds.

Following Mr McCarthy’s ousting several members of Mr Gaetz’s own party have resurfaced some of the allegations while the ethics panel is mulling his expulsion over the probe.

Many GOP members have also lashed out at him in interviews, with Rep Mike Lawler branding Mr Gaetz a “petulant child” and Rep Derrick Van Orden dismissing him as “some guy from Florida”.

Meanwhile, attention is also turning to who will be the next speaker, with Rep Jim Jordan and Rep Steve Scalise both announcing they are running.

A far-right faction of the party, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, is also pushing for Donald Trump to take the gavel.

Mr Gaetz has meanwhile now taken aim at speaker pro tempore Patrick McHenry for sending lawmakers home “to cry for a week” instead of calling a vote for a successor now.

Key Points

• Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan announce their campaigns for speaker

• Trump claims ‘lots of people’ have asked him to run for speaker

• Matt Gaetz denies ‘urban legend’ that he moved to oust McCarthy for failing to stop sexual misconduct ethics probe

• McCarthy’s speakership grew into ‘an exercise in self-abasement'

• Who will replace ousted Kevin McCarthy as new House Speaker?

AOC launches scathing takedown blaming McCarthy for his own ouster: ‘He signed up to be held hostage’

Wednesday 4 October 2023 22:05 , Kelly Rissman

New York Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to Instagram to explain what she called the “wild, historic day” in the United States when House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted from his post — a move the Democrat blamed Mr McCarthy himself.

“The United States of America currently does not have a Speaker of the House,” Ms Ocasio-Cortez said in a video.

She explained what happened in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, placing the blame on Mr McCarthy’s leadership for this end result.

Mr McCarthy “made all of these promises to all of these people, many of which were either incompatible or tangled, and it makes it very difficult for you to lead when you make so many promises and you have to uphold them. Then, they are contradictory and its very difficult for you to govern after doing that,” the New York Democrat said.

Under the current congressional rules, a single member is allowed to file a motion to vacate. “So that has meant that for the last nine months, Kevin McCarthy signed up to be held hostage. And he has been held hostage.”

READ MORE

‘Republicans have totally unrealistic expectations of the Speaker job'

Wednesday 4 October 2023 22:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Matt Fuller, the Washington bureau chief of The Daily Beast wrote on X on Wednesday that the “Republicans have totally unrealistic expectations of the Speaker job”.

“We heard Republicans blame him for the border and the debt yesterday. They think, if he would just LEAD, they can win. That’s not how Congress or governing works. But don’t tell them!” he added.

“Most Republicans are still in shock and aren’t prepared to discuss who’s next. (As Rep. Dusty Johnson said, ‘Can we wait for the body to be cold?’) But it only took a few hours before Republicans started running. Scalise is already calling around,” he noted. “Scalise is probably the favourite. He’s next in the line of succession and has an operation that knows how to contact members and whip them. But he’s going to run into many of the same problems as McCarthy because four or five Republicans can effectively veto your speakership.”

Ramaswamy says Trump as speaker 'isn’t crazy’

Wednesday 4 October 2023 21:32 , Gustaf Kilander

Schumer says coddling the hard right ‘always leads to disaster'

Wednesday 4 October 2023 21:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said on Wednesday that “what happened yesterday is a failure entirely of the House Republicans’ own doing”.

He added that GOP speakers, including John Boehner, Paul Ryan, and Mr McCarthy “have all learned the same hard lesson – you cannot allow the hard right to run the House or the country,” according to Punchbowl News.

“Year after year, they end up making the same mistake, and it always leads to disaster,” Mr Schumer said regarding the House Republicans. “MAGA extremism is disastrous for the country.”

In a message to whoever the next speaker is, Mr Schumer urged them to “think carefully about what happened to your predecessors before trying to coddle the hard right”.

Republicans just made history with McCarthy’s ouster. Who is it actually going to hurt?

Wednesday 4 October 2023 21:18 , Eric Garcia

Kevin McCarthy’s speakership is finished. The battle for the House Republican conference – and indeed, the House of Representatives as a whole – has only just begun.

The historic effort to oust Mr McCarthy, led by Florida Republican Rep Matt Gaetz, culminated on Tuesday with Mr McCarthy losing his position. Eight Republicans, including Mr Gaetz, joined every member of the House Democratic caucus to depose the speaker, whose reign lasted barely less than nine months.

It could not have come at a more inopportune time. Over the weekend, Congress passed a stopgap spending bill, known as a continuing resolution, to keep the government open for 48 days. In addition, Congress is currently debating whether to continue spending money to support Ukraine in its attempt to push back Russian aggression.

READ MORE: What are the roots of the current GOP civil war?

‘Didn’t she vote to send me to federal prison for four months?’ Bannon asks about Mace

Wednesday 4 October 2023 21:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Nancy Mace (R-SC) and Rep Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who both voted to oust Mr McCarthy, appeared in Steve Bannon’s podcast together.

Mr Gaetz noted that they disagree on many issues, but agreed on the need to remove the speaker.

“Nancy is not a hard right intransigent lawmaker, but our Venn diagram overlaps,” he said.

“Didn’t she vote to send me to federal prison for four months?” Mr Bannon asked.

“I’m a constitutionalist,” Ms Mace said.

“My appellate lawyer would disagree about that,” Mr Bannon said.

In 2021, Ms Mace voted to hold Mr Bannon in contempt of Congress. In an op-ed in The Post and Courier at the time, she wrote: “Although I disagreed with its formation, the Jan. 6 committee was formed. Whether we like it or not, it’s officially a committee of the United States Congress.”

“That’s what the vote Thursday to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress was about: It was a vote regarding contempt of a congressional committee, a vote to protect Congress’ authority to investigate and issue subpoenas. It was a vote to follow the law and preserve congressional power of inquiry,” she added.

Donald Trump posts edited image of himself holding speaker’s gavel

Wednesday 4 October 2023 20:52 , Gustaf Kilander

Donald Trump Jr floats possibility his father could be next House speaker

Wednesday 4 October 2023 20:30 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump Jr has floated the idea that his father could become the next speaker of the House after Kevin McCarthy was unceremoniously ousted from the role by members of his own party.

The former president’s son posted an illustration on Instagram of Mr Trump dressed in a MAGA hat holding the speaker’s gavel in the chamber.

“Kevin McCarthy is ousted as Speaker of the House and will not be running again,” a caption on the image read.

“Republicans in Congress are nominating Trump to be the next Speaker!”

Don Jr captioned his post: “Thoughts???”

A growing number of far-right Republicans have started calling for Mr Trump to become the next speaker after Mr McCarthy’s exit on Tuesday.

Read more:

Donald Trump Jr floats possibility his father could be next House speaker

Political scientists ‘stuck their necks out and diagnosed the disease 11 years ago'

Wednesday 4 October 2023 20:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Journalist John Harwood took to X to share a “periodic reminder” that political scientists Norman Ornstein and Thomas Mann “stuck their necks out and diagnosed the disease 11 years ago”.

Mr Ornstein and Mr Mann published an op-ed in The Washington Post in April 2012 entitled Let’s just say it: The Republicans are the problem.

“Unfortunately that was long before the overwhelming majority of journalists and political analysts could handle the truth,” Mr Harwood said on Wednesday morning.

A few months ahead of President Barack Obama’s reelection, the researchers wrote, “We have been studying Washington politics and Congress for more than 40 years, and never have we seen them this dysfunctional”.

“In our past writings, we have criticized both parties when we believed it was warranted. Today, however, we have no choice but to acknowledge that the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party,” they added at the time.

“The GOP has become an insurgent outlier in American politics. It is ideologically extreme; scornful of compromise; unmoved by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition,” they wrote.

Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan announce their campaigns for speaker

Wednesday 4 October 2023 19:51 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH), the chair of the Judiciary Committee and Rep Steve Scalise (R-LA), the majority leader, have announced they are running to be the next Speaker of the House.

Mr Jordan noted in a letter to his fellow House Republicans that he “helped deliver” what he called “the most significant legislative accomplishment this Congress: the strongest immigration and border enforcement bill ever”.

“With other committee chairs and the members of the Judiciary Committee, I am doing the oversight and holding the Administration accountable. And I have been among the leaders in pushing for fiscal discipline my entire career,” he added.

Referencing being shot at a 2017 congressional baseball practice, Mr Scalise wrote “I firmly believe this Conference is a family. When I was shot in 2017, it was Members of this Conference who saved my life on that field. When I made it to the hospital and my family was told my chances of surviving were low, it was the prayers from all of you that carried us through”.

“You know my leadership style I’ve displayed as your Majority Leader and Whip. I have a proven track record of bringing together the diverse array of viewpoints within our Conference to build consensus where others thought it impossible,” he added.

Trump claims ‘lots of people’ have asked him to run for speaker

Wednesday 4 October 2023 19:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Donald Trump claimed that “lots of people” have asked him to run for House speaker following the ouster of Rep Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

The former president addressed the speculation as he was heading into court in New York on Wednesday for the continuation of his civil fraud trial.

“A lot of people have been calling me about speaker. All I can say is we’ll do whatever is best for the country and the Republican Party,” Mr Trump told the press.

It remains unclear who might be able to get 218 votes in the House to grasp the speaker’s gavel. Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH) said on Wednesday that he was running for speaker and it has been reported that Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) is reaching out to fellow members of the conference to see if he can muster the support needed.

But it’s not clear that either of them can reach the required number of votes.

Read more:

Trump claims ‘lots of people’ have asked him to run for speaker

‘Why wouldn’t the Democrats hand us a colossal failure like this without even having to work at it?'

Wednesday 4 October 2023 19:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Claudia Tenney (R-NY) appeared on Fox Business telling host Maria Bartiromo that Rep Matt Gaetz (R-FL) “spent all week going around ... meeting with Democrats like AOC, Rashida Tlaib, Pramila Jayapal – meeting with them to try to get them to support him” in his effort to oust Mr McCarthy.

“Why wouldn't the Democrats hand us a colossal failure like this without even having to work at it?” Ms Tenney asked.

“We did that and honestly, I'm so frustrated because I'm a Republican, I served in the state legislature where the Democrats control everything,” she said of the New York chamber. “I have never seen anything so malicious as the lies that were told on the House floor yesterday by people who I consider to be good conservatives. We just can't continue like this.”

Matt Gaetz denies ‘urban legend’ that he moved to oust McCarthy for failing to stop sexual misconduct ethics probe

Wednesday 4 October 2023 18:30 , Martha McHardy

Matt Gaetz has denied he moved to oust Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker for failing to stop a sexual misconduct ethics probe into him.

Florida congressman Matt Gaetz led the charge against Mr McCarthy, who was ousted as speaker of the House of Representatives on Tuesday in a historical first. But now Mr Gaetz is facing allegations that his move to oust Mr McCarthy from his position came after the former House speaker failed to protect him from a wide-ranging inquiry into his conduct.

Mr Gaetz, 41, is facing a House Ethics Committee inquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct, use of illegal drugs, and misuse of funds.

The far-right congressman has denied the allegations, and claimed the inquiry is the work of Mr McCarthy and his allies, who he argues are bent on smearing him.

The former House speaker has insisted he cannot block the investigation, but Mr Gaetz has claimed this is an “urban legend.”

Read more:

Matt Gaetz denies ousting McCarthy for failing to stop sexual misconduct ethics probe

McCarthy’s speakership grew into ‘an exercise in self-abasement'

Wednesday 4 October 2023 18:00 , Gustaf Kilander

John Harris, founding editor at Politico, wrote in a column on Tuesday night that at the beginning, Mr McCarthy’s “speakership was effectively an optical illusion. At the end, it was an exercise in self-abasement”.

“He never really held the office of speaker in anything like the historic meaning of that job. He never inspired fear. He sought favor from GOP colleagues ... but he had scant influence to bestow favors in return. He wasn’t associated with any particular governing idea,” he wrote.

Mr Harris noted that for 25 years, every GOP speaker has left the office “with his standing diminished”.

He added that the party “is now animated by something akin to nihilism” and that “the politics of contempt so skillfully exploited by Donald Trump is turned inward on hapless would-be leaders like McCarthy with no less ferocity than it is turned outward on liberals and the media”.

Who will replace ousted Kevin McCarthy as new House Speaker?

Wednesday 4 October 2023 17:30 , Rachel Sharp

In what marked a historic day for Congress, Kevin McCarthy was ousted from his role as speaker of the House of Representatives on Tuesday – after less than nine months in the role.

The Florida congressman’s fate was sealed by his own warring party, as eight Republicans joined Democrats and voted to remove him from the speakership.

Mr McCarthy had grown increasingly at odds with the far-right wing of the party – notably lead rebel and MAGA Republican Matt Gaetz.

Mr Gaetz had filed a motion to vacate the speaker in outrage that Mr McCarthy struck a deal with Democrats to avert a government shutdown – one that could have temporarily shuttered key services for American people and furloughed federal workers.

After Democrats declined to bail out the speaker and members of his own party turned on him, Mr McCarthy was removed in a 216-210 vote to vacate on Tuesday night – marking the first time in American history that a speaker has been ousted by other lawmakers.

Now, the House has been left in turmoil – with no leader at a time when the US is once again careening towards a government shutdown.

So who will be his successor?

Here’s a look at some of the likely contenders:

Who will replace ousted Kevin McCarthy as new House Speaker?

Ex-Republican calls his former party ‘childish and dangerous’

Wednesday 4 October 2023 17:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Neoconservative writer Bill Kristol, who served as the chief of staff to Republican Vice President Dan Quayle from 1989 until 1993, wrote on X on Wednesday: “To step back (up?) to 30,000 feet for a minute: The U.S. now has only one party—the Democratic Party—that, for all its flaws, is an actual, recognizable, grown up, capable-of-governing political party. And then there are the Republicans, at once childish and dangerous”.

‘The most damning thing anyone has ever said about House Republicans'

Wednesday 4 October 2023 16:30 , Gustaf Kilander

A number of House Republicans said following Mr McCarthy’s ouster that it will be an uphill battle for any successor to unify the conference.

Rep Dusty Johnson (R-SD) said, “Frankly, one has to wonder whether the House is governable at all,” according to Axios.

Mr Johnson is the chair of the Main Street Caucus, which has more than 70 members in the party, and they “ believe in governing in a thoughtful and pragmatic manner,” according to their site.

“I’m not sure I would wish this job on anyone. Kevin McCarthy was the most talented member of our conference,” Mr Johnson added.

Ian Milhiser responded to this comment on X, writing that “This may be the most damning thing anyone has ever said about House Republicans”.

McCarthy allies may ‘prevent Scalise from becoming speaker'

Wednesday 4 October 2023 16:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise was one of the first to reportedly begin reaching out to members of his conference to see if he could get the support needed to replace Mr McCarthy.

The number two Republican in the House received warm words from the man who triggered the ouster of Mr McCarthy.

Rep Matt Gaetz told the press on Tuesday that Mr Scalise would be a “phenomenal speaker”.

But the road there may be bumpy.

“I’m already hearing rumblings from some longtime McCarthy allies that they will work to try to prevent Scalise from becoming speaker,” Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News wrote on X on Wednesday morning. “The path to 218 is rocky for all candidates.”

Professor calls out different expectations for Republicans and Democrats: ‘C’mon. Get real'

Wednesday 4 October 2023 15:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Brian Klaas, an associate professor of global politics at University College London, wrote on X: “Does anyone — I mean anyone — think that House Republicans would have voted to bail out [then-Speaker Nancy] Pelosi if a far-left challenge to her leadership happened? I mean…the de facto leader of the Republican Party just cracked a joke about her husband being nearly assassinated. C’mon. Get real.”

Donald Trump mocked Paul Pelosi in a speech just months after the ex-Speaker’s husband was injured in a hammer attack at their San Franciso home.

“I will stand up to crazy Nancy Pelosi who ruined San Francisco... How’s her husband doing by the way? Anybody know?” Mr Trump said at the fall convention of the California Republican Party in Anaheim on 29 September.

“And she’s against building a wall [on] our border even though she has a wall around her house, which obviously didn’t do a very good job,” he added to laughter in the room.

Mr Pelosi suffered a skull fracture in October last year when an assailant broke into the home and later attacked him with a hammer after asking for Ms Pelosi, then the speaker of the House.

While Mr Trump at one point called the attack a “sad situation,” he also boosted far-right conspiracy theories regarding the incident.

Mr Trump slammed the Democratic leaders in the state to the California crowd.

“Together we will reverse the decline of America and we will end the desecration of your once great state California,” he said. “This is not a great state anymore. This is a dumping ground. You’re a dumping ground.”

Mr Trump is highly unlikely to win California in a general election, but the state is also home to the largest group of Republican delegates in the fight for the GOP nomination. The state will hold its primary on 5 March. Mr Trump noted that he’ll likely be in court on that date following his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

‘No single figure is more to blame for the ‘rehabilitation' of Trump post-1/6 than McCarthy’

Wednesday 4 October 2023 15:00 , Gustaf Kilander

During his press conference after losing the speakership on Tuesday, Mr McCarthy said: “Do I regret the Democrats playing games with January 6? Yes. They played so many politics. What they did to this institution, what they did to this building, was so wrong.”

Journalist and historian Garrett Graff said on X that “No single figure is more to blame for the ‘rehabilitation’ of Trump post-1/6 than McCarthy. His utter lack of honour and courage will be the defining thread of McCarthy’s story in history”.

Democrat reveals that GOP’s own rules would prevent Trump from being speaker

Wednesday 4 October 2023 14:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Fox News host Sean Hannity said during his broadcast on Tuesday night that “sources are telling me that some Republicans have been in contact with and have started an effort to draft former President Donald Trump to be the next speaker and I have been told that President Trump might be open to helping the Republican party at least in the short term if necessary”.

In reaction to Mr Hannity’s suggestion, Democratic Rep Sean Casten wrote on X: “I would direct your attention to rule 26(a) of the House Republican Conference rules for the 118th Congress.”

Mr Casten added a screenshot of “Rule 26 – Temporary Step Aside of a Member of Leadership who is Indicted”.

“A member of the Republican Leadership shall step aside if indicted for a felony for which a sentence of two or more years imprisonment may be imposed,” it stated.

Mr Casten also noted that “this language substantially mirrors language in House rule XXIII (10)”.

That rule states that “a Member ... who has been convicted by a court of record for the commission of a crime for which a sentence of two or more years’ imprisonment may be imposed should refrain from participation in the business of each committee”.

The rule also says that a member who “has been indicted for or otherwise formally charged with criminal conduct in any Federal, State, or local court punishable as a felony for which a sentence of two or more years’ imprisonment may be imposed ... should step aside from any party caucus or conference leadership position”.

What the opinion pages are saying about Kevin McCarthy’s ouster

Wednesday 4 October 2023 14:00 , Stuti Mishra

Kevin McCarthy’s removal from the Speaker’s chair is a first in US history, and opinion pages are abuzz processing the meaning of such a monumental development out of Washington.

In The New Republic, Alex Shepard argued Mr McCarthy “brought it all upon himself” by empowering a single member of his party to call an ouster vote as part of the deals he cut to be elected House Speaker in the first place.

He continues:

There are plenty of reasons to savor this moment, even if you’re not exactly a Matt Gaetz fanboy. McCarthy has spent his months in office striving to protect Donald Trump while denigrating and diminishing the vital work of the January 6 committee. He authorized a bogus impeachment push against President Biden, despite there being no evidence of any wrongdoing whatsoever. On only two occasions did he break from the far right: once to cut a deal with Biden to raise the debt limit (which he quickly reneged on) and again late last month on a short-term deal to keep the government open. It was the latter defection that cost him his job. The irony, as Norm Ornstein pointed out on Twitter, is that McCarthy is being pushed out for being an institutionalist—for compromising to keep the government open—when few have done more to trash the institution of the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, in The Wall Street Journal, the editorial board tore into the Republicans who led the revolt against Mr McCarthy and praised the ousted lawmaker’s leadership.

It writes:

They now have the chaos they wanted, though it isn’t clear what else they hope to achieve. Their clever plan seems to be to cut off their own heads.

Marjorie Taylor Greene leads plan to make Trump next House speaker

Wednesday 4 October 2023 13:30 , Rachel Sharp

A growing number of far-right Republican lawmakers including Marjorie Taylor Greene are calling for Donald Trump to become the next House speaker – following Kevin McCarthy’s ousting less than nine months in the role.

The Georgia congresswoman and MAGA Republican took to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday night to claim that the former president is the “only candidate” she will back to take the gavel.

“The only candidate for Speaker I am currently supporting is President Donald J. Trump. He will end the war in Ukraine. He will secure the border,” she said.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:

Marjorie Taylor Greene leads plan to make Trump next House speaker

Here’s what the White House has to say about the McCarthy vote

Wednesday 4 October 2023 13:00 , Josh Marcus

The White House has weighed in on the first-ever ouster of a sitting House speaker just hours after Republicans voted to defenestrate California Representative Kevin McCarthy from his post as the leader of the House of Representatives.

In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden is “always eager to work with both parties in Congress in good faith on behalf of the American people” and is hoping that the GOP majority will act to “quickly elect a Speaker” to replace Mr McCarthy, who was stripped of his leadership post after 216 House members — all the chamber’s Democrats plus a small number of Republicans led by Florida congressman Matt Gaetz — voted to declare his office vacant.

Ms Jean-Pierre said the president’s hope is that the vote will occur with haste “because of the urgent challenges facing our nation will not wait”.

“The American people deserve leadership that puts the issues affecting their lives front and center, as President Biden did today with more historic action to lower prescription drug prices,” she said.

Andrew Feinberg has the story.

White House issues statement about motion to vacate without mentioning Kevin McCarthy

These eight Republicans voted to oust Kevin McCarthy as House speaker

Wednesday 4 October 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp

Rep Kevin McCarthy had support from 208 members of his conference to remain as House speaker.

But it took only eight dissenters in his party to boot him from the job.

A handful of Republicans joined with Democrats to make history as Mr McCarthy became the first speaker in US history to be voted out of the position by his colleagues.

Most of the eight have never been members of the McCarthy fan club. They chafed at the deal Mr McCarthy made with President Joe Biden to avoid a federal default.

They voted against the bill Congress passed Saturday to keep the federal government operating at current funding levels through mid-November.

Most are also fiscal hardliners who opposed Mr McCarthy’s candidacy for speaker early on. But, Mr McCarthy, soon after announcing he would not seek to run again for the speaker’s job, countered that he did not view the eight as conservatives.

Here’s a look at the eight Republicans who voted to remove Mr McCarthy from office, against the overwhelming wishes of their colleagues.

Read our DC bureau chief’s take on the McCarthy vote

Wednesday 4 October 2023 12:00 , Josh Marcus

On January 6, Kevin McCarthy was scared, Liz Cheney told millions of Americans watching the January 6 committee hearings. Mr McCarthy, who had joined 146 other Republicans in the House and Senate to overturn the 2020 presidential election, had reportedly tried to talk some sense into Donald Trump.

Mr Trump did not seem phased by the threat, and told the then-House minority leader, “Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,” to which Mr McCarthy said “Who the f*** do you think you are talking to?” In the days after, Mr McCarthy had a chance to unhitch his wagon to the man for whom he had once prepared a bowl of strawberry and cherry Starbursts. Behind closed doors, he told his fellow Republicans, “I’ve had it with this guy.”

Had he performed the exorcism of Mr Trump from the GOP body politic, he would never become Speaker, a position he had coveted since at least 2015 when he failed in his attempt to win the gavel after John Boehner fell. But he would probably be remembered as the man who made the hard call to help the GOP move on and would earn the gratitude from his party in the succeeding years.

Instead, he made a decision that would earn him the speakership but also lead to his undoing: he chose to accommodate the most extreme factions of the GOP. But in doing so, Mr McCarthy wound up making too many promises he could not keep to the most extremists factions, trying to appease extortionists who never would be satisfied and alienated Democrats by making them see him not as an opponent who was nonetheless a patriot but a snivelling quisling for Mr Trump who relished angering them.

Eric Garcia has more.

Make no mistake, Kevin McCarthy chose this

Marjorie Taylor Greene wants Trump as next House speaker

Wednesday 4 October 2023 11:30 , Rachel Sharp

Marjorie Taylor Greene has said that she wants Donald Trump to become the next House speaker – following Kevin McCarthy’s ousting after just nine months in the role.

“The only candidate for Speaker I am currently supporting is President Donald J. Trump. He will end the war in Ukraine. He will secure the border,” she wrote on X on Tuesday night.

“He will end the politically weaponized government. He will make America energy independent again. He will pass my bill to stop transgender surgeries on kids and keep men out of women’s sports. He will support our military and police. And so much more!

“He has a proven 4 year record as President of the United States of America. He received a record number of Republican votes of any Republican Presidential candidate! We can make him Speaker and then elect him President! He will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”

Kevin McCarthy’s bitter farewell

Wednesday 4 October 2023 11:00 , Josh Marcus

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday hit back at the Florida backbencher who engineered his ousting just hours before, telling reporters at a press conference that the unprecedented vote to remove him from his leadership post was called for as part of a personal grudge.

Mr McCarthy, a California Republican, was stripped of his office as the highest-ranking member of the GOP in the US government after eight of his own party joined with 208 Democrats in a parliamentary manoeuvre that hadn’t been tried in over a century, known as a motion to vacate the chair.

The eight insurgents, led by Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, claimed that Mr McCarthy was untrustworthy because he allowed the House to avert a government shutdown on Saturday by approving legislation to keep the government running for the next 45 days.

But Mr McCarthy said Mr Gaetz was lying about his motivations when he addressed reporters late on Tuesday.

“You know it was personal. It had nothing to do about spending,” he said.

Andrew Feinberg has the details.

McCarthy hits back after Matt Gaetz-led coup to oust him: ‘You know it was personal’

Watch: Mike Pence's live reaction to Kevin McCarthy's removal as House speaker

Wednesday 4 October 2023 10:30 , Stuti Mishra

Acting speaker Patrick McHenry gives Pelosi the boot from her offices

Wednesday 4 October 2023 10:00 , Josh Marcus

Patrick McHenry, who will serve as acting House Speaker now that Kevin McCarthy has been ousted, made one of his first official acts and ordered former Speaker Nancy Pelosi out of her offices on Tuesday.

The North Carolina Republican warned the California Democrat, in San Francisco for Dianne Feinstein’s memorial, that the offices will soon be re-keyed and she needs to vacate the premises.

Ms Pelosi said in a statement to Politico the move was “a sharp departure from tradition,” noting she gave former Speaker Dennis Hassert “a significantly larger suite of offices for as long as he wished” while she ran the House.

Watch: Kevin McCarthy ignores questions after being removed as House Speaker

Wednesday 4 October 2023 09:30 , Stuti Mishra

A historic day in the House

Wednesday 4 October 2023 09:00 , Josh Marcus

Rep Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has been ousted from the speakership after a motion to vacate was filed by Rep Matt Gaetz (R-FL). It’s the first time in history that a speaker has been removed by the House.

This comes after Mr McCarthy struck a deal with Democrats over the weekend on a 45-day funding resolution to avert a government shutdown.

Eight Republicans voted with the Democrats to remove Mr McCarthy, including Reps Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, Tim Burchett, Eli Crane, Bob Good, Nancy Mace, Matt Rosendale, and Mr Gaetz.

The final tally was 216 supporting the ouster and 210 members voting against it. Rep Patrick McHenry was named as the interim speaker.

Catch up on all the details in our full story.

House votes to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy in historic ouster

'Sometimes karma works fast'

Wednesday 4 October 2023 08:30 , Stuti Mishra

As voting concluded to oust Kevin McCarthy – leaving the seat of the speaker vacant for the first time in history – reactions began pouring in from Democrats with some saying it's "karma" catching up with the now former speaker and others lashing out at Republicans for "choosing chaos over governing".

Democrat representative Malcolm Kenyatta wrote: "Kevin McCarthy tried to impeach Joe Biden and got kicked out his job instead. Sometimes karma works fast."

Representative Jason Crow called the divide between Republicans a "civil war" pointing that "its theirs to fix".

"Kevin McCarthy is removed. There’s no Speaker. We’re in recess. Extreme MAGA Republicans have chosen chaos over governing. Every. Time.

The Republican civil war is theirs to fix."

Hakeem Jeffries calls for ‘traditional Republicans’ to abandon MAGA faction

Wednesday 4 October 2023 08:09 , Josh Marcus

Hakeem Jeffries wants the Republican party to get back to normal now, if such a thing is possible.

The Democratic leader, viewed as a potential future Speaker of the House, called on his GOP collleagues to abandon the slash-and-burn tactics of its hard-right MAGA members and get back to working more collaboratively.

“This is a solemn moment for the country and for the House of Representatives,” he said in a statement on Tuesday evening. “The Constitution gifted us a government of the people, by the people and for the people. House Democrats will continue to put people over politics and work together in a bipartisan way to make life better for everyday Americans. It is our hope that traditional Republicans will walk away from MAGA extremism and join us in partnership for the good of the country.”

McCarthy's 'sycophantic appeasement' of MAGA led to his ousting, says Raskin

Wednesday 4 October 2023 07:30 , Stuti Mishra

Reacting after Tuesday's ousting of Kevin McCarthy, Democrat representative Jamie Raskin said that his "sycophantic appeasement of Trump’s MAGA enablers" is what led to his "own toppling".

"Kevin McCarthy's sycophantic appeasement of Trump’s MAGA enablers brought to our body chaos, extremism and his own toppling," Mr Raskin wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Today, unified behind our exceptional leadership, Democrats are clearly the only party capable of ending the dysfunction and governing for the common good."

Mitch McConnell thanks McCarthy for ‘service to our nation'

Wednesday 4 October 2023 07:09 , Josh Marcus

Here’s eomthing we haven’t been hearing a lot of today: praise for Kevin McCarthy.

Senator Mitch McConnell praised the ousted Speaker of the House in a statement to The Independent.

Make no mistake, Kevin McCarthy chose this

Wednesday 4 October 2023 06:30 , Stuti Mishra

On January 6, Kevin McCarthy was scared, Liz Cheney told millions of Americans watching the January 6 committee hearings. Mr McCarthy, who had joined 146 other Republicans in the House and Senate to overturn the 2020 presidential election, had reportedly tried to talk some sense into Donald Trump.

Mr Trump did not seem phased by the threat, and told the then-House minority leader, “Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,” to which Mr McCarthy said “Who the f*** do you think you are talking to?” In the days after, Mr McCarthy had a chance to unhitch his wagon to the man for whom he had once prepared a bowl of strawberry and cherry Starbursts. Behind closed doors, he told his fellow Republicans, “I’ve had it with this guy.”

Had he performed the exorcism of Mr Trump from the GOP body politic, he would never become Speaker, a position he had coveted since at least 2015 when he failed in his attempt to win the gavel after John Boehner fell. But he would probably be remembered as the man who made the hard call to help the GOP move on and would earn the gratitude from his party in the succeeding years.

Read more from Eric Garcia’s column.

Make no mistake, Kevin McCarthy chose this

Donald Trump for speaker?

Wednesday 4 October 2023 06:00 , Stuti Mishra

Some Republicans have floated the name of former president Donald Trump to succeed Kevin McCarthy, even though he is running for president.

Texas representative Troy Nehls said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon that his first order of business when the House reconvenes “will be to nominate Donald J Trump for Speaker of the US House of Representatives.”

“President Trump, the greatest President of my lifetime, has a proven record of putting America First and will make the House great again,” he said.

Representative Greg Steube of Florida followed suit in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, and wrote on Tuesday evening: “@realDonaldTrump for Speaker.”

Under the US Constitution, the House speaker does not have to be a member of Congress. So if enough Republicans want, Mr Trump can become the speaker.

However, this won’t be the first time his name is floated to take over the job and the former president has said he does not want to become speaker.

What are the next steps as US House searches for new speaker?

Wednesday 4 October 2023 05:00 , Stuti Mishra

The US House of Representatives for the first time in its history has booted its speaker out of the job, as infighting in the narrow and bitterly divided Republican majority toppled Kevin McCarthy from the position.

Here is a look at what comes next:

Until a House speaker is installed, it is unlikely that further action will be taken on bills to fund the government, with lawmakers facing a 17 November deadline to provide more money or face a partial government shutdown.

Currently, Patrick McHenry has been appointed as acting speaker for a very limited time - up to three legislative days in this case.

Republican lawmakers said they would need at least a week to choose a new speaker, which will eat into the time necessary to pass that needed legislation.

The House's 221 Republicans and 212 Democrats huddled privately to figure out their next steps - both political and legislative.

Each party was expected to try to settle on a candidate for speaker. That's fairly easy for Democrats as they are solidly behind Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who ran for speaker in January against Mr McCarthy and other candidates.

Republicans, because of their obvious divisions, especially among a small group of hard-line conservatives seeking very deep cuts in federal spending, could have a harder time settling on a candidate.

The House finds itself in an unprecedented moment and so it was unclear exactly how quickly an election will be held in the full House. Normally, the elections for speaker are scheduled at the start of the new Congress every two years.

The leaders of both parties will have to decide when they are ready to enter into the process of electing a speaker.

Kevin McCarthy’s tenure as House Speaker is third shortest in US history

Wednesday 4 October 2023 04:09 , Josh Marcus

Kevin McCarthy had one of the shortest runs in US history as Speaker of the House.

His tenure, which began in January, is the third shortest in the history of the office.

In 1869, Theodore Pomeroy served for a single day to fill the vacancy left when a previous Speaker resigned.

AOC mocks GOP after McCarthy ouster

Wednesday 4 October 2023 03:09 , Graeme Massie

“Well, that’s one way of putting it,” she wrote on X over video of Elise Stefanik saying the Republican majority in House had “exceeded all expectations.”

Matt Gaetz denies he’s a narcissist and slams Kevin McCarthy as a ‘feature of the swamp’

Wednesday 4 October 2023 02:01 , Josh Marcus

Matt Gaetz isn’t backing down, despite criticisms that ousting Kevin McCarthy was about ego.

“It’s the benefit of this country that we have a better Speaker of the House than Kevin McCarthy,” Mr Gaetz said on the Capitol steps. “Kevin McCarthy couldn’t keep his word. He made an agreement in January regarding the way Washington would work, and he violated that agreement. We are $33 trillion in debt. We are facing $2.2 trillion annual deficits.”

“We face a de-dollarization globally that will crush Americans, working class Americans,” he added. “Kevin McCarthy is a feature of the swamp. He has risen to power by collecting special interest money and redistributing that money in exchange for favors.”

White House releases statement about motion to vacate without mentioning Kevin McCarthy

Wednesday 4 October 2023 01:40 , Josh Marcus

The White House has weighed in on the first-ever ouster of a sitting House speaker just hours after Republicans voted to defenestrate California Representative Kevin McCarthy from his post as the leader of the House of Representatives.

In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden is “always eager to work with both parties in Congress in good faith on behalf of the American people” and is hoping that the GOP majority will act to “quickly elect a Speaker” to replace Mr McCarthy, who was stripped of his leadership post after 216 House members — all the chamber’s Democrats plus a small number of Republicans led by Florida congressman Matt Gaetz — voted to declare his office vacant.

Ms Jean-Pierre said the president’s hope is that the vote will occur with haste “because of the urgent challenges facing our nation will not wait”.

“The American people deserve leadership that puts the issues affecting their lives front and center, as President Biden did today with more historic action to lower prescription drug prices,” she said.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

White House issues statement about motion to vacate without mentioning Kevin McCarthy

Ron DeSantis says he opposed McCarthy ‘when it wasn’t cool'

Wednesday 4 October 2023 01:20 , Josh Marcus

Florida governor and GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis has weighed in on the Kevin McCarthy saga.

He told Scripps News on Tuesday he opposed Mr McCarthy as speaker back when “it wasn’t cool.”

“He’s really somebody that Donald Trump backed and put in that postion,” Mr DeSantis said. “I think they’ve not delivered results. The contrast between Florida, us delivering results, and what you have in Washington, is typically failure theatre.”

As for who he hopes replaces Mr McCarthy, Governor DeSantis said, “I don’t know if I’d wish that job on any of my friends.”

McCarthy hits back after Matt Gaetz-led coup to oust him: ‘You know it was personal’

Wednesday 4 October 2023 01:11 , Graeme Massie

Mr McCarthy says coup ringleader Matt Gaetz is taking revenge for a House Ethics Committee probe.

McCarthy hits back after Matt Gaetz-led coup to oust him: ‘You know it was personal’

McCarthy says it was ‘personal’ for Matt Gaetz

Wednesday 4 October 2023 00:58 , Graeme Massie

“Look, you all know Matt Gaetz. You know it was personal. It had nothing to do about spending. And regardless of what you think, I have seen the texts. It was all about his ethics,” he said.

McCarthy regrets helping 8 rebel Republicans elected

Wednesday 4 October 2023 00:53 , Graeme Massie

McCarthy says he feels ‘fortunate’ despite being kicked out of job

Wednesday 4 October 2023 00:47 , Graeme Massie

“So I may have lost a vote today, but as I walk out of this chamber, I feel fortunate to have served the American people,” he told reporters on Tuesday evening.

McCarthy refuses to commit to remaining in Congress

Wednesday 4 October 2023 00:45 , Graeme Massie

“I will look at that,” the lawmaker from California told reporters at his news conference when asked if he would now quit Congress.

WATCH: Matt Gaetz explains why he voted to oust McCarthy

Wednesday 4 October 2023 00:40 , Josh Marcus

Matt Gaetz delivered a passionate speech on Tuesday explaining why he led the effort to oust Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker.

“High inflation is on the verge of bankrupting American families. Our economy is breaking in half,” he said. “A typical American family can’t afford to buy a house in 99 per cent of US counties. Inflation is stealing more than $700 a month from working Americans, nearly $9000 a year.”

“Kevin McCarthy is the Speaker of the House of Representatives,” he added. “He has failed to take a stand where it matters.”

Patrick McHenry steps in as speaker pro tempore after McCarthy ouster

Wednesday 4 October 2023 00:20 , Josh Marcus

Patrick McHenry of North Carolina stepped in as speaker pro tempore of the House of Representatives on Tuesday evening after a dramatic showdown led to the removal of former speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Upon assuming the position, Mr McHenry, the former chief deputy whip of the House GOP and lover of bowties, immediately gaveled the House to recess so each party could confer with their members.

Mr McHenry will now serve as the acting speaker – complete with all the power of the elected official speaker – until a formal vote can take place.

He was hand-picked by Mr McCarthy earlier this year when he assumed the speakership.

Ariana Baio has the story.

Patrick McHenry steps in as speaker pro tempore after McCarthy ouster

Kevin McCarthy is out of the Speaker race for good

Wednesday 4 October 2023 00:04 , Josh Marcus

Kevin McCarthy, who needed 15 separate tries to be elected as Speaker of the House, will not try to run again after being ousted on Tuesday.

The California Republican will reportedly tell his colleagues during a closed door GOP meeting today, Punchbowl News reports.

White House weighs in on Speaker vote: ‘The American people deserve leadership'

Wednesday 4 October 2023 00:00 , Josh Marcus

The White House wants the House to get back to work.

The Biden administration, after cutting a temporary spending deal with Kevin McCarthy shortly before his ouster, wants Republicans to quickly elect a new leader.

“President Biden has demonstrated that he is always eager to work with both parties in Congress in good faith on behalf of the American people. Because the urgent challenges facing our nation will not wait, he hopes the House will quickly elect a Speaker,” the White House said in a statement to The Independent. “The American people deserve leadership that puts the issues affecting their lives front and center, as President Biden did today with more historic action to lower prescription drug prices. Once the House has met their responsibility to elect a Speaker, he looks forward to working together with them and with the Senate to address the American peoples’ priorities.”

What happens now that Kevin McCarthy has been ousted?

Tuesday 3 October 2023 23:40 , Josh Marcus

With a thundering slam of the gavel, Representative Patrick McHenry of North Carolina brought the House of Representatives into a new era.

Following the ouster of Kevin McCarthy, the North Carolina rep will serve as the top Republican in the House in his role as speaker pro tempore.

Mr McHenry brought the House into recess so both parties can plot their course forward.

The obscure rule that handed a ‘live grenade’ to Republicans to oust McCarthy

Tuesday 3 October 2023 23:20 , Josh Marcus

Did Kevin McCarthy plant the seeds of his own downfall? Here’s Eric Garcia writing about the concessions the California Republican made in his long slog to the Speaker’s chair.

At the beginning of the new Congress, newly-elected representative Cory Mills (R-FL) handed his fellow Republicans inert grenades. It was an apt welcoming gift since House speaker Kevin McCarthy effectively handed conservatives a live grenade when he allowed for a single member to file a motion to vacate the chair, an arcane rule that allows for a no-confidence vote to depose the speaker.

Investing that much power into any single member of the House Republican conference was never going to end well for the speaker. Doing so meant that any member could have the power to veto his agenda the moment they did something he didn’t like.

Read more from Eric’s full piece on the run-up to today’s no confidence vote.

Matt Gaetz has thrown the House into chaos. What comes next is anyone’s guess...

John Boehner slams ‘bulls***’ rumour he’s celebrating Speaker vote

Tuesday 3 October 2023 23:01 , Josh Marcus

Retired House Speaker John Boehner, whom Kevin McCarthy once ran to replace, said on Tuesday he isn’t toasting his former colleague’s demise.

Speaking to the Washington Post through a spokesperson, Mr Boehner said suggestions he is “celebrating what Speaker McCarthy is facing” are “bulls***.”

Before Mr Boehner resigned in 2015, Rep McCarthy temporarily ran to become Speaker of the House, though he later abandoned his candidacy.

Jamie Raskin hammers McCarthy for stance on January 6 after ouster vote

Tuesday 3 October 2023 22:48 , Josh Marcus

Jamie Raskin isn’t nostalgic for the Kevin McCarthy era.

The Maryland Democrat tore into his House colleague on Tuesday after Mr McCarthy was ousted as House Speaker.

Mr Raskin pointed to Mr McCarthy’s opposition to the Trump impeachments and January 6 insurrection investigation, as contrasted with the Republican’s current pursuit of a highly debatable impeachment process against Joe Biden.

“There was a very strong push for us to have an investigation,” Mr Raskin told The Independent‘s Andrew Feinberg. “And Kevin McCarthy came up with the idea for an outside, independent, 9-11 style commission to investigate the events of January 6, five Republicans and five Democrats, equal staffing, equal subpoena power, and even though we were in the majority, the Democrats agreed to it. Bennie Thompson delivered the Democrats and said we’ll sign up for that and then McCarthy pulled the plug on his own idea because Donald Trump said he wanted no investigation and then when Speaker Pelosi created the select committee on January the sixth Kevin McCarthy opposed that and tried to sabotage it.”

The Maryland lawmaker also said he was still upset that Mr McCarthy refused to comply with a subpoena about his conversations with Donald Trump on January 6.

Mr Raskin defended his decision to vote against Mr McCarthy, saying it wasn’t up to Democrats to resolve internal disputes in the Republican Party.

“When you’re talking about the chaos in the Republican Party, right-wing Republicans have to solve the problems that right wing Republicans create,” he said.

McCarthy can ‘no longer be trusted,’ says member of GOP who voted him out

Tuesday 3 October 2023 22:31 , Josh Marcus

Andy Biggs of Arizona, one of the eight Republicans who voted to oust Kevin McCarthy, said on Tuesday he was behind the historic ouster because Mr McCarthy had broken his party’s trust.

“Speaker McCarthy has failed to demonstrate himself as an effective leader who will change the status quo,” Mr Biggs said in a statement on X. “He has gone against many of the promises he made in January and can no longer be trusted at the helm.”

Watch the Arizona congressman’s full remarks from the House floor during the historic vote.

What has Nancy Pelosi, the previous House Speaker, said about today’s vote?

Tuesday 3 October 2023 22:21 , Josh Marcus

Nancy Pelosi had a measured response to today’s massive ouster vote.

In a statement from San Francisco, where she is attending memorial events for her longtime colleague and friend Senator Dianne Feinstein, the former House Speaker said it was up to Republicans to choose a suitable Speaker and she regretted not being there in person.

“She is very saddened not to be there for this historic vote, and as she said: ‘The Speaker of the House is chosen by the Majority Party,” the statement reads. “In this Congress, it is the responsibility of House Republicans to choose a nominee and elect the Speaker on the floor. At this time there is no justification for a departure from this tradition.”

House votes to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy

Tuesday 3 October 2023 22:09 , Josh Marcus

Rep Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has been ousted from the speakership after a motion to vacate was filed by Rep Matt Gaetz (R-FL). It’s the first time in history that a speaker has been removed by the House.

This comes after Mr McCarthy struck a deal with Democrats over the weekend on a 45-day funding resolution to avert a government shutdown.

Eight Republicans voted with the Democrats to remove Mr McCarthy, including Reps Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, Tim Burchett, Eli Crane, Bob Good, Nancy Mace, Matt Rosendale, and Mr Gaetz.

The final tally was 216 supporting the ouster and 210 members voting against it.

Gustaf Kilander and John Bowden are following all the details.

House votes to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy

A historic House ouster: Kevin McCarthy voted out of Speaker position

Tuesday 3 October 2023 22:09 , Josh Marcus

Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of the vote to oust Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

We’ll be following all the latest developments from this first in US history.

Stay tuned with The Independent for more news and analysis.