“I made history, didn’t I?” Kevin McCarthy exclaimed on Tuesday night, only a few hours after being ousted from his position as the first ever speaker of the House to face such a fate. It happened so quickly, and now the race to find his replacement was already underway. The tangible reminder of McCarthy’s reign, his wooden Speaker sign, still hung outside his former office.
Washington loves to watch a downfall, and that’s exactly what McCarthy’s speakership provided from the very beginning. There was always a sense that his time in power was limited. The way he held the gavel, like a child showing off a toy, seemed to foreshadow his own downfall. McCarthy unintentionally handed his adversaries the weapon they needed to remove him from power—a single member of his conference could initiate a “motion to vacate” at any moment. And on Tuesday, that moment arrived, on the 269th day of Kevin’s hostage-like reign.
During Tuesday’s roll call, McCarthy tried to keep a brave face. But he looked lost and bewildered as the bad votes piled up. He sat with his legs crossed, his gaze fixed on the ground, as representatives delivered speeches either in support or derision. Elise Stefanik of New York boldly claimed that the Republican majority had exceeded expectations, setting up a perfect comeback from McCarthy’s chief critic, Matt Gaetz of Florida, who mocked, “If this House of Representatives has exceeded all expectations, then we definitely need higher expectations!”
Garret Graves of Louisiana praised McCarthy as “the greatest speaker in modern history,” eliciting laughter from the minority side. Democrats, on the other hand, chose to remain largely silent, following James Carville’s mantra of “When your opponent is drowning, throw the son of a bitch an anvil.”
By 5 p.m., McCarthy’s path had led to a vote of 216–210 against him, resulting in the shortest tenure of any House speaker since 1876. How will history remember McCarthy’s speakership? Briefly, to say the least. McCarthy was never known for his ideological fervor, charisma, or visionary leadership. He dismissed the idea of higher purposes and lofty ideals. His only guiding principle seemed to be self-preservation, doing whatever it took to hold on for another day, forming alliances as necessary. McCarthy’s transactional approach made it hard for him to discern who his true allies were, and when new enemies would emerge. This became apparent with every vote cast against him by fellow Republicans he had once considered friends.
McCarthy always tried to project an image of someone who enjoyed his job and was unfazed by the criticism. Unlike his predecessors Paul Ryan and John Boehner, who were seen as policy wonks and institutionalists respectively, he embraced being seen as a lightweight backslapper. I witnessed this firsthand when I sat with McCarthy in his hometown of Bakersfield, California, last year. He delighted in meeting people, taking pictures with celebrities like Kobe Bryant, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Donald Trump. McCarthy recognized that the adulation would fade once he left his position.
“Keep dancing” became a favorite mantra of McCarthy’s during his short-lived speakership—always maneuvering around whichever threat to his authority emerged. He was willing to make promises to get through the debt-ceiling fight, finesse deals to keep the government running, and appease both the zealots and the moderates. He would even renege on agreements if necessary, ordering more pizza along the way.
On the morning of January 7, after enduring 15 rounds of voting, McCarthy finally had the chance to deliver his “victory” speech as the newly elected speaker. It was past 1:15 a.m., and the American people were fast asleep. McCarthy’s moment felt like an act of overgrown playfulness. Holding a souvenir hammer, he stood there, after a near-fight broke out among his sleepover guests.
Throughout his tenure, McCarthy exuded a desperation that was palpable and seized upon by his critics. Bob Good of Virginia, in a speech on Tuesday, implored for a speaker who would fight for something beyond just maintaining power. His supporters believed that McCarthy’s defeat was temporary. Meanwhile, Gaetz was surrounded by reporters outside the Capitol, while McCarthy tried to sound defiant by declaring, “Judge me by my enemies.”
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