The divide between the Republican old-guard establishment and the GOP populist wing, represented by the Freedom Caucus and representatives such as Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, and Chip Roy, was laid bare with two nasty elections for speaker of the House.
Following the 2022 midterms, California Rep. Kevin McCarthy was the favored candidate for speaker. But the populist Republicans refused to back him without some concessions — chief among them, reviving the “motion to vacate the chair.” This rule allowed one representative to force a vote to remove the speaker. After ballot 14, McCarthy needed one vote — either from Gaetz or Boebert — to win. After a near-fistfight, McCarthy won on the 15th ballot in January 2023. Democrats sat back and watched, with Rep. Ted Lieu trolling the GOP with a Twitter picture of himself eating popcorn.
McCarthy probably regretted allowing the “vacate” rule, since Matt Gaetz used it against him on October 3, 2023, citing McCarthy’s willingness to continue aiding Ukraine despite earlier promises of no more financial support. In the ensuing 216-210 vote, McCarthy became the only speaker to be ousted.
After McCarthy’s ouster, another chaotic election took place, with the relatively unknown, Trump-endorsed Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson coming out on top of a crowded field. Johnson is considered one of Trump’s biggest “America First” supporters, having voted against certifying the contested 2020 election. His first legislative actions as speaker concerned aid to Israel and Ukraine, tying the latter package to funding for border security.
