Was it the day Washington, D.C. finally responded to "we the people"?
The bow tie gavel banger may be leading in memes after the vote that resulted in the ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, but the representative who initiated the vote is offering what many observers are saying is one of the most rational explanations of what went down on Tuesday.
Asked by a reporter if his move to vacate McCarthy's speakership was to the benefit of himself and Donald Trump, Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz responded:
"It's to the benefit of the country that we have a better Speaker of the House than Kevin McCarthy. Kevin McCarthy couldn't keep his word. He made an agreement in January regarding the way Washington would work and he violated that agreement."
Gaetz continued: "We are 33 trillion dollars in debt. We are facing 2.2 trillion dollar annual deficits. We face a de-dollarization globally that will crush Americans, working=class Americans. Kevin McCarthy is a feature of the Swamp. He has risen to power by collecting special interest money and redistributing that money in exchange for favors.
"We are breaking the fever now."
That segues to interim Speaker Patrick McHenry. The North Carolina Republican seemed intent on breaking the speaker's gavel after announcing the vote vacating McCarthy's position.
Meanwhile, McHenry was applauded by many for kicking former Speaker Nancy Pelosi out of her Capitol hideaway office.
An email sent to Pelosi’s office on Tuesday said the “room will be re-keyed” and reassigned for “speaker use,” Politico reported.
A spokeswoman for New York Democrat Rep. Steny Hoyer told the New York Post that the former House majority leader had also been asked to vacate his Capitol hideaway office.
“With all of the important decisions that the new Republican Leadership must address, which we are all eagerly awaiting, one of the first actions taken by the new Speaker Pro Tempore was to order me to immediately vacate my office in the Capitol,” Pelosi said in a statement that called to mind her classy response to President Trump's State of Union address which she literally ripped to shreds in full view of all cameras. “This eviction is a sharp departure from tradition. As Speaker, I gave former Speaker [Dennis] Hastert a significantly larger suite of offices for as long as he wished.”
McHenry's overt ire was followed by displays of outrage from McCarthy and a contingent of GOP wise men.
“You all know Matt Gaetz,” McCarthy told reporters after he was ousted. “You know it was personal. That’s not governing. That’s not becoming of a member of Congress. … It was all about his ethics. But that’s all right.”
New York Republican Rep. Michael Lawler told reporters he thought Gaetz should be expelled from the party’s conference. Louisiana Republican Rep. Garret Graves said repercussions for Gaetz would be “pursued in the conference.”
In an op-ed for the (cough) Washington Post, former House Speaker New Gingrich called for Gaetz to be expelled, writing that Gaetz "is an anti-Republican who has become actively destructive to the conservative movement."
Eight Republicans — Gaetz, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Eli Crane of Arizona, Bob Good of Virginia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Matt Rosendale of Montana — joined 208 Democrats to remove McCarthy from power in a 216-210 vote.
Brian Kilmeade at ever-drifting-to-the-left Fox News, also seemed quite disturbed that McCarthy was ousted despite supposedly having 96 percent support. One of the eight GOP rebels, Burchett, seemed to take Kilmeade to school:
Brian Kilmeade gets spanked by Congressman Tim Burchett.
This is outstanding.pic.twitter.com/4IJMaBJCEH — Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) October 4, 2023
Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan confirmed to Breitbart News that he is running for Speaker of the House.
Gaetz tweeted: "My mentor Jim Jordan would be great!"
Meanwhile, Trump told reporters on Wednesday he was focused on doing the "best thing" for the Republican Party when asked whether he would serve as Speaker of the House.
Trump said he has fielded numerous calls about assuming the vacant speakership, but suggested he was more focused on winning the presidential election. He also said he would assist House Republicans with choosing a replacement for McCarthy.
"A lot of people have been calling me about speaker," Trump told reporters outside a New York City courtroom where he is on trial in a civil fraud case filed by New York's attorney general. "All I can say is we will do whatever is best for the country and the Republican Party. We have some great, great people. A lot of people have asked me about it."
Trump in a Tuesday social media post reminded the GOP of a key issue: "Why is it that Republicans are always fighting among themselves, why aren’t they fighting the Radical Left Democrats who are destroying our Country?"
As prognosticators were tossing about the names of McCarthy's potential successor, Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene chimed in: "The only candidate for Speaker I am currently supporting is President Donald J. Trump. He will end the war in Ukraine. He will secure the border. He will end the politically weaponized government. He will make America energy independent again. He will pass my bill to stop transgender surgeries on kids and keep men out of women’s sports. He will support our military and police. And so much more! He has a proven 4-year record as President of the United States of America. He received a record number of Republican votes of any Republican Presidential candidate! We can make him Speaker and then elect him President! He will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!"
BREAKING: Congressman Matt Gaetz speaks after Kevin McCarthy was removed as Speaker of the House pic.twitter.com/2YhsgnXFxS
— ALX 🎃 (@alx) October 3, 2023
Kevin McCarthy waves the white flag:
"I will not run for Speaker again." pic.twitter.com/SOht3dGp5Y — Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) October 3, 2023
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