On Tuesday, Kevin McCarthy’s stint as Speaker of the House ended it as it began: in abject humiliation. After less than 10 months on the job, a vote to oust him, brought on by his mortal enemy Matt Gaetz, ended in triumph. House Democrats sided with a slim cabal of MAGA hardliners, bringing the final vote to 216 versus 210. What happens next is anybody’s guess. But for now, a lot of people, including Democrats, aren’t exactly verklempt.
McCarthy made dubious history: He’s the first Speaker to ever be removed in the 234 years the House of Representatives has existed.
There was another record McCarthy broke: He had the shortest Speaker stint since Michael C. Kerr, who served from December 1976 through August 1876, when he died of TB.
The historic moment was sealed by now-acting House Speaker Patrick McHenry, who sent McCarthy off with a very angry slamming of the gavel.
Things seemed bad for McCarthy even before the final vote had concluded.
Perhaps it wasn’t wise for McCarthy to trash Democrats on Face the Nation Sunday, shortly after they helped him avert a government shutdown.
Some reflected on the brevity of McCarthy’s tenure as Speaker.
Others pointed out that McCarthy was the latest person to be destroyed by siding with Donald Trump.
There were lots and lots of jokes.
Still, some took McCarthy’s ouster badly.
That includes other GOP representatives, who proved again that today’s Republican Party is in shambles.
Some wondered if there would be footage of McCarthy moving his stuff out of his Speaker office.
Others reflected on who would replace him.
And then there was McCarthy himself, whose tweet from Sunday night, daring House members to vote him out, has not aged particularly well.