House Republicans Strip Kevin McCarthy of Speaker’s Gavel After Last-Minute Deal, Matt Gaetz’s Influence in House of Representatives is Strong

In a surprising move, House Republicans have stripped Kevin McCarthy of the speaker’s gavel after a last-minute deal Saturday to keep the government open with a bill passed with Democratic votes. The move came after Rep. Matt Gaetz, a 2020 election denier and defender of the Jan. 6 insurrection, demanded a procedural bazooka.

Gaetz, who is also the subject of an ethics investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and more, is known for his conservative bent against taxation and spending. His animating tenet of his political ideology is that the federal government works against the public interest because it is corrupt.

At McCarthy’s first press conference after being stripped of the speaker’s gavel, he was finally free to speak his mind. He had been avoiding a national default and a federal shutdown, which interfered with Gaetz’s ability to demonstrate that the government was corrupt.

Gaetz is known for his frequent impromptu walk-and-talk gaggles and for giving rote, seemingly focus-grouped answers to questions. It appears that his demand for a procedural bazooka ultimately led to McCarthy’s political annihilation.

The implications of this move remain to be seen, but it is clear that Gaetz’s influence in the House of Representatives is strong. It will be interesting to see how the House Republicans move forward in the wake of this decision.