Kevin McCarthy’s dream of becoming Speaker of the House vanished quickly Wednesday afternoon, as the California congressman was about to lose his fifth ballot amid continued opposition from an unrelenting group of Republican rebels. .
Despite an eleven-hour intervention from Donald Trump encouraging Republicans to rally around McCarthy, at least six Republicans voted against him in Thursday’s vote Wednesday afternoon. That makes it mathematically impossible for him to win the simple majority needed to grab the Speaker’s hammer.
McCarthy make a history on Tuesday when he became the first majority party leader in a century to lose the first vote.
He also failed to win the simple majority needed in the second and third votes on Tuesday, before the House adjourned and his allies scrambled to win 20 lawmakers opposed to the application. his nomination.
McCarthy lost the fourth ballot on Wednesday, after 20 Republicans voted against him and instead supported Republican Byron Donalds. The stalemate has raised new questions about whether McCarthy has a viable path to grabbing Speaker’s hammer.
The defeat came even after former president Trump sought to unite the pro-Mccancy party, posting on his Truth Social platform: “Now is the time for all of our GREAT Republicans to VOTE. FOR KEVIN, CLOSE AGREEMENT, WIN.”
Joe Biden, the Democratic president of the United States, on Wednesday morning called the House proceedings “a bit embarrassing,” adding: “What do you think this looks like for the rest of the world?” gender?”
“This is not a pretty look, this is not a good thing,” Biden told reporters at the White House. “This is the United States of America and I hope they will act together.”
McCarthy’s opponents come from various factions within the party, and include Trump loyalists like Florida’s Matt Gaetz and Colorado’s Lauren Boebert, as well as ultra-conservatives like Chip Roy of Texas and Scott. Perry of Pennsylvania, who are pushing for rule changes that could make it easier to call a vote of no confidence in a future Speaker.
Tuesday’s failed votes ushered in a historic stalemate in Washington, as the House of Representatives is constitutionally required to elect a Speaker and cannot begin running until one is chosen. .
The standoff also underscores long-simmering tensions within the Republican party, which is still fractured after a disappointing performance in last November’s election. midterm elections. Despite expectations of a “red wave,” Republicans won a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress, and failed to regain control of the Senate.
Many Republicans in Washington have blamed those failures on Trump, who played a key role in the primaries process by pushing his favorite candidates – many of whom later failed at the ballot box. However, the former president has managed to reassert himself as king in the party, especially keeping an eye on running for president in 2024. Trump launched his third presidential run just days after the midterm elections, and no other candidate entered the ring to challenge him.
“Kevin McCarthy will do a great job, and maybe even a GREAT JOB – LOOK!” Trump posted on Wednesday morning.
Trump’s endorsement of McCarthy marks the latest chapter in the roller coaster relationship between the two men. For years, Trump often referred to the congresswoman as “my Kevin”. But McCarthy is said to have said “I had that with this guy” after the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, before smiling for a photo with Trump at the Mar- his a-Lago just a few weeks later.
