"Former" House Speaker McCarthy

[phkrause]

McCarthy's stunning downfall

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) — yes, former — made history in January when he survived a grueling 15 ballots to secure the gavel he had dreamed of wielding for his entire career.

• "This is the great part," McCarthy told reporters at the time. "Because it took this long, now we learned how to govern."

Flash forward: Nine months later, McCarthy has again made history — this time, as the only speaker ever to be voted out of office through a "motion to vacate" on the House floor.

Why it matters: McCarthy's ouster was a stunning moment — only to be topped two hours later by the shocking revelation that he would not run for speaker again.

• The decision blindsided McCarthy allies who were gearing up to re-nominate him, opening the floodgates for a competitive speakership race that will dominate Congress for at least the next week.
• Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), the interim speaker, told Republicans that he intends to host a candidate forum next Tuesday and the speaker election on Wednesday.

Screenshot via CNN

What they're saying: Oscillating from candid to jovial to angry, McCarthy took over a dozen questions in a lengthy press conference tonight in which he insisted he "wouldn't change a thing" about his tenure.

• McCarthy had harsh words for Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) — the chief architect of his ouster — as well as the seven other Republicans who joined with Democrats to remove him from office.
• "They are not conservatives," he argued, unleashing on his GOP colleagues. "Look, you all know Matt Gaetz. You know it was personal."
• "Unfortunately, 4% of our conference can join all the Democrats and dictate who can be the Republican speaker," McCarthy said. "I don't think that rule is good for the institution, but apparently I'm the only one."

What to watch: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) is the likely front-runner for speaker, but other potential candidates — including Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) — could also attract significant support.

[phkrause]

⚡ Where McCarthy went wrong

McCarthy's decision to lower the threshold for a motion to vacate to a single member — a concession demanded by Gaetz during the speaker's election — haunted him from the very start.

Why it matters: "It's Chekhov's Gun: If you introduce a gun in Act One, it's going to go off by Act Three," CNN's Jake Tapper cleverly pointed out.

• As speaker, McCarthy notched an early legislative win on crime, united the GOP on messaging bills, brokered a bipartisan debt ceiling agreement and averted a government shutdown at the eleventh hour.
• He earned grudging respect from his doubters — including a dozen of the original rebels who voted to keep him in office today — but not enough to stave off the downfall that many viewed as inevitable.

Between the lines: McCarthy's fate was still up in the air as of last weekend, when some centrist Democrats expressed openness to bailing him out in exchange for concessions of their own.

• Then McCarthy went on CBS News' "Face the Nation" on Sunday and attempted to blame Democrats for the near-government shutdown — a clip that was played in the party's caucus meeting this morning.
• The meeting quickly devolved into an anti-McCarthy venting session, with Democrats rebuking him for opposing the Jan. 6 commission, reneging on the debt ceiling deal and launching an impeachment inquiry into President Biden.
• "I think he's likely the most unprincipled person who's ever been speaker of the House," said Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), who represents "Frontline Democrats" in battleground districts.

McCarthy's fate was sealed from that moment, as all 208 Democrats in attendance joined with eight Republican rebels to evict him from the speaker's chamber.

• "I'm a Republican. I win by Republicans and I lose by Republicans," McCarthy said at his press conference, defending his decision not to strike a deal with Democrats.
• Asked for his advice to the next speaker, McCarthy replied with a laugh: "Change the rules."

Get the latest

[phkrause]

House speaker chaos stuns lawmakers, frays relationships and roils Washington For the first time ever, a House speaker has been voted out of the position, plunging Congress into a new degree of turmoil. It is the latest test for an institution grappling with the aftermath of the Capitol siege and a Republican Party at war with itself. Read more.

Why this matters: It was a stunning moment for Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a punishment fueled by growing grievances but sparked by his decision to work with Democrats to keep the federal government open rather than risk a shutdown.   Removing the speaker launches House Republicans into chaos heading into a busy fall when Congress will need to fund the government again or risk a mid-November shutdown.    Republicans will try to coalesce around a new leader after McCarthy ruled out another bid to become speaker. They face a leadership vacuum and deep divisions, with many Republicans seething at Rep. Matt Gaetz, who orchestrated the vote.

Related coverage ➤  Kevin McCarthy is out as speaker of the House. Here’s what’s next. These 8 Republicans stood apart to remove Kevin McCarthy as House speaker Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina is the leader of the House, at least for now

[phkrause]

? GOP in chaos: The two early front-runners

House GOP sources tell me the two most likely candidates for speaker as of this morning are House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

• It might be tough for the conference to turn down Scalise, 57, if he goes all-in for the job: He was badly wounded in the shooting at a House GOP baseball practice in 2017, and was diagnosed this summer with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer. But the sources told me there are many questions about whether the grueling job suits Scalise right now.
• Jordan, 59, is a McCarthy loyalist and team player who has establishment ties — and was the founding chair of the hardline House Freedom Caucus. But it's unclear whether Jordan's hardcore conservative brand could fit the realities of governing.

? Reality check: The GOP had no Plan B after Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) yesterday became the first speaker in House history to be removed.

• An outside GOP power broker texted me that it's more like a buffet of plans B to Q: "Some are crazy, all are speculation."

State of play: The House will return Tuesday, with a leadership election the next day.

• Party breakdown of final vote ... Go deeper: How Trump shadowed McCarthy, by Axios' Hans Nichols.

[phkrause]

House GOP leaders try to climb the ladder after McCarthy ouster

The succession race within House GOP leadership has begun, with multiple members of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's team expected to try to move on up.

https://www.axios.com/2023/10/04/house-speaker-scalise-jordan-emmer-reschenthaler?

[phkrause]

McCarthy’s ouster leaves the House adrift as divided Republicans seek to unite behind a new leader

WASHINGTON (AP) — The stunning removal of Kevin McCarthy as speaker has left the House adrift as Republicans struggle to bring order to their fractured majority and begin the difficult and potentially prolonged process of uniting around a new leader.

https://apnews.com/article/new-house-speaker-gop-selection-mccarthy-jordan-9b244d42f60eaccc94befcc1ba9d2985?

[phkrause]

? Republicans feared fistfight

House Republicans were distraught, furious and concerned for the future of their party after McCarthy announced he wouldn't run for speaker again, Axios' Andrew Solender reports.

• "I'll be really candid, I think if we had stayed together in the meeting last night, I think you would have seen fists thrown," McCarthy ally Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) told CNN.
• "And I'm not being dramatic when I say that. There is a lot of raw emotions right now."

Why it matters: Several Republican lawmakers suggested it will be a challenge for any would-be McCarthy successor to unify the fractious conference he failed to tame.

• Some, like Rep. Carlos A. Giménez (R-Fla.), said he would not support any speaker who does not promise to change the single-member motion-to-vacate that led to McCarthy's downfall.
• Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) — in a rare intervention from the upper chamber — echoed that sentiment, saying the rule "makes the speaker's job impossible."

Zoom in: Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) told Punchbowl News that he is considering offering a motion to expel Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) from the GOP conference, which would require two-thirds support.

• Gaetz, meanwhile, said he was "thrilled" with the two candidates who have officially entered the race so far: Scalise and Jordan.
• "I am certain that under the stewardship of either Mr. Scalise or Mr. Jordan, the House of Representatives will be in far better stead than we were with Mr. McCarthy," Gaetz told NBC News.

[phkrause]

? Charted: When cash doesn't pay

Data: Federal Election Commission; Chart: Axios Visuals The eight House Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy received a combined $150,000 from his leadership PAC, the Majority Committee, in recent election cycles, Axios' Stef Kight reports. Why it matters: McCarthy's painstaking efforts to unite the GOP conference around him — including through standard means of political wheel-greasing — ultimately proved insufficient. "A lot of them I helped get elected, so I probably should've picked somebody else," McCarthy joked last night when asked if wishes he had done anything differently. The intrigue: Several of the rebels who originally opposed McCarthy in January — including Reps. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) — voted not to oust him after receiving donations from his political operation.

[phkrause]

Most 2024 GOP presidential candidates urge Republicans to stop the chaos after McCarthy’s ouster

NEW YORK (AP) — Most of the top Republican candidates running for president in 2024 reacted grimly to the ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy by a faction of hard-liners in their own party, while one contender embraced the chaos and the front-runner for the nomination notably did not denounce the move.

https://apnews.com/article/gop-presidential-candidates-house-speaker-de84eaee6d7d0dac681b5cce584c253e?

[phkrause]

?️ 1 big thing: GOP panics

Expectations are at rock-bottom among House Republicans that their civil war will be resolved by the speaker vote next Wednesday.

• Why it matters: There are way too many potential ignition points for the leadership vacuum to be easily resolved, Axios' Juliegrace Brufke reports.

What's happening: Some moderates are threatening to tank any speaker if the rules aren't changed to protect future speakers from the single-member motion to vacate that torched Kevin McCarthy.

• But that's a deal-breaker for conservatives.

Some conservatives are threatening to sink any potential speaker who'd support aid for Ukraine — or who wouldn't push an impeachment vote on President Biden.

• But that's a deal-breaker for some moderates.
• And some Republicans just have old scores to settle.

? The emerging field: Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan announced their candidacies yesterday.

• Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern, a key conservative leader, is also expected to run.

Scalise announcement ... Jordan announcement ...

[phkrause]

How does a ‘frozen’ U.S. House function without a speaker? Everyone’s got an opinion

WASHINGTON — The stunning ouster of U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday — the first time a speaker has been removed in Congress’ 234-year history — created a leadership vacuum in the chamber and left multiple questions about how legislative business would proceed.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/10/04/how-does-a-frozen-u-s-house-function-without-a-speaker-everyones-got-an-opinion/?

Could a FL Republican emerge as the next U.S. House Speaker? And what about Trump?

Former President Donald Trump said Wednesday that supporters have suggested he serve as the next U.S. House speaker, but his main goal is returning to the White House in 2024.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/10/04/could-a-fl-republican-emerge-as-the-next-u-s-house-speaker-and-what-about-trump/?

Louisiana’s Steve Scalise and Ohio’s Jim Jordan jump into race for U.S. House speaker

WASHINGTON — Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio announced Wednesday they will seek the U.S. House speaker’s gavel after Kevin McCarthy’s unprecedented ouster brought the lower chamber into uncharted territory.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/10/04/louisianas-steve-scalise-and-ohios-jim-jordan-jump-into-race-for-u-s-house-speaker/?

[phkrause]

Donald Trump may visit the Capitol to address Republicans as they pick a new speaker, AP sources say

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is in talks to visit Capitol Hill next week as Republicans debate who should be the next speaker of the House following Kevin McCarthy’s stunning ouster, according to three people familiar with the discussions.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-speaker-mccarthy-capitol-hill-432f89f6826b2b4f51990ae4b4d293fb?

[phkrause]

Bitter GOP rivalries resurface

New tensions are colliding with old feuds in the Republican race to become House speaker, intensifying the GOP's paralysis and raising serious questions about whether any candidate is capable of governing the conference.

Why it matters: The internal chaos has major implications for government funding, aid to Ukraine, the 2024 election and other issues that extend far beyond the walls of Congress. Old wounds reopened by the removal of Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as speaker will only exacerbate those challenges.

Driving the news: McCarthy confidantes quietly have been making calls to advocate against Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), who is considered the leading contender to become the next speaker, Axios' Juliegrace Brufke reports.

• Scalise and McCarthy have long been viewed as rivals, with tensions spilling over into public eye on multiple occasions in recent years.
• One of McCarthy's closest allies, Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), took a thinly veiled swipe at Scalise yesterday, telling reporters: "I think this whole narrative about every member of the existing leadership taking one step up is bulls**t."
• "The body wasn't even cold," one House Republican told The Messenger, criticizing Scalise for quietly launching his campaign moments after McCarthy was ousted Tuesday night.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a founding chair of the hard-right Freedom Caucus, has received endorsements from several McCarthy allies.

• But Jordan's close ties to former President Trump and allegations that Jordan knew Ohio State wrestlers he coached were being sexually abused — which he denies — could cost him dozens of moderate votes.
• Jordan also told NBC News today that he would not support expelling Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), which could anger Republicans itching for retribution against the architect of the McCarthy coup.
• In another sign of old feuds turning nasty, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) — a former House Republican close to McCarthy — accused Gaetz of routinely bragging about his sexual experiences to colleagues on the House floor, which Gaetz has denied.

Down the ballot, influential Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) endorsed Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to be majority leader, snubbing next-in-line Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), who defeated Banks in last fall's whip election.

The intrigue: House Republicans have publicly and privately expressed particular contempt for Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), a moderate on women's issues who joined with seven GOP hardliners to oust McCarthy.

• Mace, who criticized Gaetz for fundraising off of January's 15-ballot speaker election, has been aggressively soliciting donations of her own after shocking the GOP conference with her anti-McCarthy vote.
• The moderate Republican Governance Group is now considering removing Mace from its caucus.

The bottom line: "The only grudge that I know as a fact is going to last is the one we are going to hold against those eight a**holes," one McCarthy ally told Politico.

[phkrause]

? Trump's speaker tease

Screenshot via X Trump told Fox News he is open to accepting a short-term role as speaker and plans to travel to Capitol Hill for the House GOP's candidate forum on Tuesday. "I have been asked to speak as a unifier because I have so many friends in Congress," the former president said. "If they don't get the vote, they have asked me if I would consider taking the speakership until they get somebody longer-term, because I am running for president." Why it matters: The notion of Trump actually becoming speaker is extremely far-fetched. The Republican presidential front-runner is likely more interested in generating media attention and solidifying his iron grip on the GOP. The House has never elected a speaker from outside of Congress, though there is no constitutional requirement that the position be held by a sitting member. However, the GOP's own conference rules require a member of leadership to step aside "if indicted for a felony for which a sentence of two or more years' imprisonment may be imposed." Between the lines: Trump's flirtation with the speakership is both a nightmare for vulnerable Republicans and a boon to Democrats, who spent much of McCarthy's tenure branding him as a puppet for the former president. Even before Trump today confirmed his planned visit to the Hill, the Biden campaign and other Democrats were circulating fundraising emails playing up the possibility of him serving as speaker. "Criminals tend to return to the scene of the crime," Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) tweeted today, referring to Trump's role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

[phkrause]

Inside Kevin McCarthy’s vengeance operation against the Republicans who fired him

Kevin McCarthy is not done trying to exact revenge on the fellow Republicans who ended his Hill career.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/01/kevin-mccarthy-vengeance-challengers-00138897?

ps:Is this all he can do?? Why not just do some good!!!!!

[phkrause]

McCarthy's last flop

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's revenge tour is sputtering to an end this week, with just one primary win to show for it.

• Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is expected to win easily on Tuesday despite a McCarthy-linked PAC spending more than $3 million against him.
• "McCarthy thinks about me a lot more than I think about him," Gaetz told us.

Why it matters: McCarthy's former colleagues complain he's effectively lit millions of dollars on fire and made it harder for new leaders to do their jobs.

• Multiple House Republicans and senior staff took issue with McCarthy's public criticisms of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), and said they saw his fingerprints on the attempted ouster of Johnson in May, sources tell us.
• McCarthy declined to comment.

Since his historic removal last fall, McCarthy and his allies have targeted the eight House Republicans who voted against him.

• "They gave him that money to beat Democrats ... and now we come to find out that that money ... was, in fact, gone after Republicans," said Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), who voted to oust McCarthy.