Hours after he was stripped of his speaker’s gavel in a historic vote Tuesday afternoon, Kevin McCarthy announced that he will bow out of the next speakership contest and instead allow the fractured Republican conference to settle on a successor.
“I don’t regret standing up for choosing governance over grievance,” McCarthy said, adding that he “might” endorse a successor and that he plans to talk to members once he learns who is running.
I will not seek to run again for Speaker of the House. I may have lost a vote today, but I fought for what I believe in—and I believe in America. It has been an honor to serve. https://t.co/4EMpOuwtzy
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) October 3, 2023
In a freewheeling press conference, McCarthy also took shots at a number of House Republicans who voted to depose him — including GOP Representatives Matt Gaetz of Florida and Matt Rosendale of Montana — and denied their criticisms that he broke the terms of the agreement he struck to become speaker.
The 216-210 vote to oust McCarthy marked the first time the House chamber has pushed out a speaker through a motion to vacate, and ushered in a moment of uncertainty about what’s next.
GOP Representative Patrick McHenry is acting as interim speaker as the chaos continues to unfold, including a push from Republican Representative Troy Nehls to nominate former President Trump as speaker. The House is in recess until next week.
McCarthy’s decision to bow out of another bid for the gavel undoubtedly comes as a surprise to the large swathe of McCarthy allies who maintained in interviews immediately after the vote that they would continue to support the now former Speaker McCarthy for as long as it takes.
That likely includes McCarthy foe-turned-friend Marjorie Taylor Greene, who told National Review immediately after the vote she expected McCarthy to run again, adding the vote didn’t come as a surprise. “We have such a slim majority so it clearly only took a few Republicans to vote with all of the Democrats to motion to vacate,” said Greene, a Republican congresswoman from Georgia.
Even if some members saw the writing on the wall ahead of the vote, McCarthy’s ouster represents a stunning-if-temporary political win for Gaetz, who introduced the motion-to-vacate Monday evening. The Florida Republican publicly sparred with McCarthy amid his tormenting 15-ballot fight for the speaker’s gavel in January, and has spent the months since accusing McCarthy of not prioritizing border security or spending cuts, and even making backroom deals with Democrats on an array legislative items.
Gaetz and other House Republicans have in recent days taken special issue with McCarthy’s decision to push a stopgap spending bill with Democratic support over the weekend to avert a government shutdown.
Republicans who sided with Democrats in today’s speakership ouster remained uncertain in the immediate aftermath of McCarthy’s ouster about who they hope might succeed him.
“I’m open to someone who can build bridges and unify the party,” Representative Nancy Mace (R., S.C.), who surprisingly backed the effort to oust McCarthy, told National Review after the vote. “I’m open to someone we can trust.”
McCarthy allies were incensed after the vote, with many of them accusing pro-ouster Republicans of sacrificing party unity for personal gain.
“I don’t credit Matt Gaetz with pulling anything off,” swing seat Republican Anthony D’Esposito tells National Review. “I credit Matt Gaetz with working with Democrats against the country.”
That includes former Republican members watching from afar. “Got a fundraising email from Gaetz during the vote,” said former South Carolina Representative Mick Mulvaney, who also previously served as director of the Office of Management and Budget and acting White House Chief of Staff.