Kevin McCarthy

The three votes were a stunning political rebuke to the California Republican, who had spent much of the past year courting hard-line conservatives in the House ...

The G.O.P. has gone from being a disciplined party of limited government to a party of anti-government protest to, now, a party of performative verbiage.

has gone from being a ruthless and disciplined party of limited government and trickle-down economics to a party of anti-government protest to, now, a party of performative verbiage—in which the likes of Gaetz and Boebert (and, of course, Trump) are far more interested in boosting their follower count, raising money, and appearing on “The Sean Hannity Show” or Newsmax than they are in governance. The irony is that McCarthy had already prostrated himself before the ultras, offering them a series of rule changes, one of which would allow just five representatives to force a vote on ousting the Speaker. Gaetz, in his speech nominating Jordan, described McCarthy as an inveterate swamp creature who “had sold shares of himself for a decade” to get the job of Speaker. Even as McCarthy told reporters that he had no intention of dropping out, it wasn’t evident what good a delay would do. It is the essence of a revolution, especially one staged for social media and Fox News, that the revolutionaries cannot be bought off by members of the corrupt establishment. [Kevin McCarthy](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/12/26/what-kevin-mccarthy-will-do-to-gain-power), the California Republican who had been confidently predicting a victory despite steadfast opposition from some of the ultra wingnuts in the G.O.P. He must have thought that it would be more rewarding to spend the next two years going after the F.B.I., the Justice Department, and Hunter Biden than trying to deal with the likes of Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, and Andy Biggs—the outgoing head of the Freedom Caucus, who stood against McCarthy in the first ballot on Monday. Until Monday, the most embarrassing moment of McCarthy’s career was when, three weeks after [January 6th](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/01/25/among-the-insurrectionists), he hightailed it down to Mar-a-Lago to pay homage to the disgraced instigator of a failed autogolpe. Having secured the position he wants as chair of the Judiciary Committee, the Ohioan was evidently content to support McCarthy for Speaker rather than pursue the top office himself. Not in a hundred years had it been such fun to be in the new minority party. “I’ve got my popcorn ready,” she joked on Twitter, where she also posted a picture of herself just outside the Speaker’s lobby. Robin Kelly, the Democratic representative of Illinois’s Second District, had the right idea when she headed into the House chamber early Tuesday afternoon.

Republican rebels defeated party leader Kevin McCarthy three times. Can he still find a way to win?

One suggestion verged on fantasy (five Republicans decide to vote for Mr Jeffries, a Democrat, and deliver him control of the House). "Kevin McCarthy has not made friends with certain segments of the caucus for a while, he's made a lot of enemies," said one Republican lobbyist, who requested anonymity to speak frankly about Tuesday's vote. The other Republican lobbyist, however, believed there was "no path to victory, at all, period." Mr McCarthy entered into negotiations with his detractors - who see him as too mainstream and power hungry - offering concessions to try to win their vote. That allowed a group of hardline conservatives to band together to oppose his nomination. Instead, Mr McCarthy faced a rebellion from within his own ranks and made history for all the wrong reasons.

Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy stands after he failed to secure enough votes to become the new House Speaker during the opening day of the 118th Congress ...

Over the past several weeks, he has met repeatedly with his Republican foes to secure their support for his speakership bid. Constitution, he also would become second in the line of succession to the U.S. On the latest ballot, 202 Republicans voted for McCarthy, 16 short of the 218 he needed. Under a provision in the U.S. After three rounds of voting, the House adjourned until noon Wednesday to continue the process. A fourth round of voting is on tap, but it was unclear whether enough of McCarthy’s opponents would abandon their opposition to him, or whether new candidates might emerge.

After it became clear that math had defeated him once more, the congressman could be heard muttering to himself, “Numbers . . . my old enemy.”

. . “Numbers . According to a source close to the congressman, failing math brought back “terrible memories” for McCarthy.

House Republicans are at a contentious stalemate over who will serve as the next speaker as Kevin McCarthy vows to continue his increasingly imperiled bid ...

One lawmaker who spoke with Trump late Tuesday suggested the former president should run for speaker himself, according to a person briefed on the call. The tally for the second ballot was 203 votes for McCarthy with 19 votes for GOP Rep. Two GOP sources familiar with the matter said McCarthy’s allies were panicking on Tuesday after the former president gave a tepid response to NBC News when asked about his support for McCarthy. In the fourth round of voting, 20 Republicans voting together for Donalds as the group switched their collective support from Jordan to Donalds. Trump put out a strong endorsement on Truth Social Wednesday morning, imploring Republicans not to “TURN A GREAT TRIUMPH INTO A GIANT & EMBARRASSING DEFEAT” and urging them to vote for McCarthy. McCarthy has already given in to a number of their demands, including making it increasingly easier to topple the sitting speaker, but so far his efforts have not been enough. The tally for the first ballot in the speaker vote was 203 for McCarthy, with 19 Republicans voting for other candidates. His obstacle is that he faces a small but determined contingent of hardline conservatives who have so far been successful in denying him the votes to secure the gavel. Sources said the talks Wednesday between McCarthy allies and holdouts have been the most productive and serious ones to date. McCarthy’s latest concession would be a significant win for hardline conservatives – after the California Republican had already proposed a five-member threshold, down from current conference rules that require half of the GOP to call for such a vote. The House GOP majority has been stuck at a contentious stalemate amid opposition to McCarthy from a group of conservatives. The House will continue to be paralyzed until this standoff is resolved.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) talks to reporters during a news conference following a GOP caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center Feb.

In the run up to the speaker vote, McCarthy tried everything. That appeared to have the reverse effect of what he and his allies were intending. Trump maintained his power with the base and endorsed scores of candidates in the 2022 midterms. The pair were able to use each other – Trump for normalizing what he did Jan. The ostensible reason for the GOP-led Benghazi investigation was to find out what happened in an attack on an American embassy in Libya, where four people died – not to hurt Clinton. With just a four-seat majority, how can they govern if they're going through all this just to pick a leader? In 2010, Republicans rode the Tea Party wave to win control of the House, but the cost was steep. He seemed willing to do a lot of things to get the job, including burrowing into former President Trump's good graces. Fights over raising the debt ceiling – something that had been routine and protected U.S. How this gets resolved is an open question – either McCarthy somehow wins over the hard-right members who are steadfastly holding out against him or he bows out, clearing the way for someone else. It's an untenable position for the country. Jim Jordan for speaker before a second round of voting Tuesday.

Republican hostage-takers know how the system works. Andy Biggs, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar and other House Republicans conversing in the ...

Is it possible that a different minority — the ever-shrinking band of genuinely moderate Republicans — will join the Democrats to elect a speaker of their own? (It’s unlikely, of course, and the lesson of what happened to pro-impeachment House Republicans does not suggest a happy ending for this tactic). We don’t know yet whether the current smash up in the House will cause an aggrieved majority of House Republicans to finally say “enough” to the rebels, who are surely eager to cause more mayhem after this episode. Did it matter that the overwhelming majority of them wanted to hand McCarthy the speaker’s gavel? Did it matter that the great majority of House Republicans did not embrace these demands? It’s supposed to be a contrast to the Senate, which is laden with protection against the unruly mob.

Republican Kevin McCarthy's bruising quest to become speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives entered a second day on Wednesday, with the party's new ...

"This is the United States of America, and I hope they get their act together." But the standoff raised questions about whether the House will be able to meet basic obligations such as funding government operations, let alone advance other policy priorities. Trump remains an influential figure among Republicans and is so far the only announced presidential candidate for 2024. All 212 of the chamber's Democrats voted for Jeffries. "I'm open to it," Khanna told Reuters, adding that other Democrats could also be on board. He cited House Republicans Brian Fitzpatrick, Mike Gallagher and Dave Joyce as possibilities.

Trying to avoid the first failed speaker vote in 100 years, McCarthy could afford to lose only four Republicans in the crucial party-line tally that opens each ...

After the adjournment, members left for meetings that many hoped would break the stalemate in time for the House to reconvene today at noon. “I think everybody goes in their corner and talks,” Representative Ken Buck of Colorado, a conservative who voted for McCarthy, told reporters. But when Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma, a McCarthy ally, made a motion to adjourn before the fourth vote could be taken, no one put up a fight. “Jeffries, Jeffries, Jeffries!” now-former Speaker Nancy Pelosi exclaimed in the fourth hour of voting. As the third ballot dragged on, a few Republicans seemed on the verge of nodding off, and others grew chippy. Democrats, the party that voters had relegated to the minority, were giddy and celebratory. “Let the show begin!” one exclaimed after the House formally convened. But it also “emboldened the other side,” Representative Pete Sessions of Texas told reporters before the votes. When the chamber adjourned for the day at about 5:30 p.m., McCarthy had already left the floor, his latest bid for speaker thwarted at least momentarily, and perhaps for good. “The world is watching.” He pointed out that the Republican whom all 19 of his detractors had backed on the second ballot, Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, didn’t even want the speaker’s job and was supporting him. Shortly before 4 p.m.yesterday, Kevin McCarthy, the man who desperately wanted to be House speaker, had just suffered two brutally public rejections in a row.

Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind Kevin McCarthy's bid to become the next Speaker of the House, in an effort to quell opposition to the California ...

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Governing by chaos is back. Two years after the master of political mayhem, ex-President Donald Trump, stormed out of Washington in disgrace, Republicans have ...

A few Republicans late Tuesday seemed to be toying with the possibility that another candidate could emerge – after the House turned into a farce and their party was made a laughing stock. (While they fell short of a red wave in the House, the GOP failed to win back the Senate and Democrats grew their majority). Blake Moore told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Tuesday, arguing that McCarthy had been successful in leading his party back to power in the House. We now have a huge opportunity to step in and show what we can do.” But many voters were alienated by the ex-president’s election denialism and landed McCarthy with a much smaller and more unworkable House majority than he expected. Jim Jordan, a hero of the right, stood to nominate McCarthy for speaker, only for 19 of the rejectionists to vote that he should have the top job that he insists he doesn’t want. They brand McCarthy as a sell-out, the biggest alligator in the Washington “swamp” whom they will never trust. They don’t care that a majority of the GOP in the House wants McCarthy. — The tiny Republican majority – which means McCarthy could only afford to lose four votes for speaker – will dominate the 118th Congress. [President Joe Biden](https://www.cnn.com/politics/joe-biden) to account, the new GOP House majority arrived in town Tuesday – and promptly [failed in its most basic task](https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/03/politics/house-speaker-vote-mccarthy): electing a speaker to lead it. Most poignantly, the impasse means Republicans are unable even to assume the control they won in the midterms as a new House can’t yet be sworn in. “I didn’t think we were going to get any more productive by continuing on the day,” McCarthy told reporters late Tuesday.

Republican House leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy appeared no closer Wednesday to securing the 218 votes he needs to be elected speaker.

Donalds said any member of the chamber should be allowed to call for a vote on the House leader. "When it comes to leveraging money to be spent in response, that's something the members would have to put into their calculus as well. Despite Trump's broad support among conservative Republican voters, it was not clear his new endorsement would move the needle for any of the holdouts in Congress. The president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that 'Sir, you do not have the votes and it's time to withdraw.'" Scott Perry, who is among the most outspoken opponents of McCarthy's speaker bid. I think we can get to an agreement." "And Nancy Pelosi is the one who stripped it. "This was a mainstay rule in our chamber that empowered all the members of Congress," said Donalds, who on Tuesday had publicly shifted his support away from McCarthy. That would make it easier to replace the future House speaker. This left all 434 members of the House technically still members-elect, not official voting representatives. The House adjourned Wednesday night after breaking for several hours earlier in the evening to give Republicans more time to sway 20 of the party's most conservative members that have been blocking McCarthy's run for speaker. The House gaveled back in shortly after 8 p.m.

As Republicans fight over who will lead the House of Representatives, gamblers don't like Kevin McCarthy's odds.

I believe in the many virtues of vices. I am a staff writer on the vices beat, covering cannabis, gambling and more. At BetOnline, a website based in Panama, McCarthy is still the favorite at -125 odds while Steve Scalise (R-La.) is at +190. In a chaotic, historical event like the speaker nomination, even people in Congress don’t know what the outcome will be. As for 2024 presidential election, Krishnamurty expects big money to be wagered: “Sky’s the limit.” At BetOnline, bettors have wagered about $20,000 on Trump becoming speaker over the last two years. Gambling on politics is illegal in the U.S. Armed with research, Jake is “going all in” on Kevin McCarthy to become the next speaker, even though he lost three times on Tuesday, the first roll call for the 118th Congress. [PredictIt](https://www.predictit.org/markets/detail/7326/Who-will-be-Speaker-of-the-House-of-Representatives-in-the-next-Congress), one of the only legal platforms in the U.S. And, technically, it’s not a gambling website: the platform is ostensibly an academic research tool like the Iowa Political Exchange. The site, which is operated by Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, has been running since 2014, thanks to a no-action letter provided by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The debacle marked the first time in 100 years that the House majority failed to elect a speaker during its first day in session.

Vote tally appears unchanged as Republican House leader fails in fifth round – follow all the latest politics news.

After the House adjourned for a few hours, McCarthy and his allies went into negotiations with the Republican holdouts without a clear path forward to end the standoff. And Lauren Boebert told CNN: “We need to get to a person that is a consensus candidate. The CLF agreed not to spend in any safe Republican districts or engage in open GOP primaries for or against any Republican opponent. “To have a Congress that can’t function is just embarrassing,” Biden said. Another vote tonight would be the fourth failed vote for McCarthy as speaker today and the seventh overall. The two groups issued a joint statement backing McCarthy. McConnell echoed: “We all know these are really partisan times. Democrats lost the majority in the 2022 midterm elections. We can get things done. As we wrap up our US politics coverage for tonight, here are the key events of today: Democrats almost succeeded in blocking this vote. But the new Republican House majority is so divided that a vote on who should become the speaker of the House has led to multiple days of gridlock and failure for California congressman Kevin McCarthy, who led House Republicans when they were in the minority, and expected to be voted in as speaker.

The House is at a standstill until the election of a speaker, which has sharply divided establishment Republicans and a faction of hard-line conservatives who ...

House Democrat Brad Sherman floated a potential deal Wednesday that would trade Democratic votes to make beleaguered Republican Kevin McCarthy the speaker ...

US House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy talks to members-elect in the House Chamber, during the second day of elections for Speaker of the House.

Republican control of the House could empower the party to frustrate Democratic President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda. The vote was also a rebuke of Mr Trump, who urged fellow Republicans to set aside their differences. “This is the United States of America, and I hope they get their act together.” REUTERS Opponents said the leadership fight could drag on for weeks. “I’m open to it,” Mr Khanna told Reuters, adding that other Democrats could also be on board. Mr McCarthy said he was making progress.