Kevin McCarthy Ousted, Johnson Rises Amid GOP Turmoil

McCarthy Ousted as Speaker in Historic Vote | The Prime Headline | Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks to reporters hours after he was ousted as Speaker of the House at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo)

In an unprecedented move, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 216-210 on October 3, 2023 to remove Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as Speaker of the House, making him the first speaker in U.S. history to be ousted from the position.
The vote came after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) introduced a resolution on October 2 to vacate the chair and remove McCarthy as speaker. Gaetz accused McCarthy of negotiating a “secret deal” with Democrats to provide more funding to Ukraine in a stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown.
Eight Republicans joined all Democrats in supporting McCarthy’s removal: Reps. Matt Gaetz (FL), Andy Biggs (AZ), Ken Buck (CO), Tim Burchett (TN), Eli Crane (AZ), Bob Good (VA), Nancy Mace (SC) and Matt Rosendale (MT). 210 Republicans voted to keep McCarthy as speaker.
McCarthy, who was elected speaker in January 2023 after 15 rounds of voting, had faced persistent challenges from far-right members of his party dissatisfied with his leadership. His ouster throws the House into chaos and leaves Republicans scrambling to find a successor.
Immediately after the vote, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) was designated as acting speaker until a permanent replacement is elected, as dictated by House rules requiring the speaker to provide a list of temporary replacements. McHenry called for the House to recess to allow Republicans and Democrats to meet and discuss next steps.
McCarthy told reporters after the vote that he would not run for speaker again, saying “I fought for what I believe in. I believe I can continue to fight, but maybe in a different manner.” He accused Gaetz of having a “personal vendetta” against him and blamed Democrats for his ouster.
Potential candidates emerged to succeed McCarthy as speaker, including Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK). However, deep divisions remain within the Republican conference over who can gain enough support.
After several tumultuous weeks, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was elected as the new speaker on October 25 in a single round of voting with the backing of all Republicans present. At age 51, Johnson became one of the least experienced speakers in modern history after less than 7 years in the House.

McCarthy Ousted as Speaker in Historic Vote, Succeeded by Rep. Mike Johnson. | The Prime Headline | Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks at the Capitol in Washington on March 20, 2024, before the vote on the final spending package for the current budget year. - AP Photo by J. Scott Applewhite. — McCarthy Ousted as Speaker in Historic Vote, Succeeded by Rep. Mike Johnson. | The Prime Headline | Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks at the Capitol in Washington on March 20, 2024, before the vote on the final spending package for the current budget year. – AP Photo by J. Scott Applewhite.

Johnson is a staunch social conservative and Trump ally who has taken hard-right positions on abortion, LGBTQ rights, and other issues as a state legislator and congressman. However, he has also sought to cultivate a reputation as a unifier through his leadership of the Republican Study Committee and founding of the “Honor and Civility Caucus”.
In his first speech as speaker, Johnson pledged an “aggressive schedule” and said Congress would work “as hard as it’s ever worked” to “deliver for the American people”. He faces the daunting task of uniting a fractured Republican conference and avoiding a government shutdown by the November 17 funding deadline.
Johnson’s ascent to the speakership was aided by the backing of former President Donald Trump, who urged Republicans to support him as the “leading candidate”. Trump had previously endorsed McCarthy but said after his ouster that he would not back anyone in the new speaker’s race.
As a member of Congress since 2017, Johnson established himself as a leading voice for religious conservatives. He authored numerous bills to restrict abortion and joined legal efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, serving on Trump’s defense team in his first impeachment trial.
Prior to entering politics, Johnson worked as a constitutional law attorney for nearly 20 years. He served in the Louisiana state legislature from 2015 to 2017 before being elected to represent the state’s 4th Congressional District, which includes Shreveport and the northwest part of the state.
Johnson and his wife Kelly, a former schoolteacher and licensed pastoral counselor, have hosted a podcast called “Truth Be Told” about Christianity’s role in American civic life. They have four biological children and also took in a Black teenager, now an adult, whom they raised as a son.
Some Democrats expressed cautious optimism about the possibility of working with Johnson, noting his lower profile and less antagonistic style compared to McCarthy. However, others pointed to his deeply conservative record and alliances with the far right as evidence that he would continue Republican obstructionism.
Progressive Caucus chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) said that while Democrats took no pleasure in the Republican disarray, “under McCarthy and the Republican majority, the House had consistently been chaos, division, polarization and racism”. She expressed hope that Johnson would take a different approach.
The White House called on the House to “move swiftly to choose a replacement speaker,” saying the “urgent challenges facing our nation will not wait”. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden looked forward to working with the new House leadership “to address the American people’s priorities” once a speaker is elected.
McCarthy’s ouster and Johnson’s election as speaker underscore the growing influence of the hard-right faction of the Republican Party, which has repeatedly used its leverage in the narrowly divided House to extract concessions from the leadership and push a more confrontational approach.
The episode also highlights the challenges facing Speaker Johnson in holding together his party and advancing a legislative agenda in an era of intense partisan polarization. With government funding and the debt ceiling among the contentious issues looming, Johnson will be tested early in his speakership.
Ultimately, the historic removal of Kevin McCarthy and ascension of Mike Johnson as House speaker represent the latest upheaval in a tumultuous period for American politics, as an increasingly radicalized Republican Party continues to reshape traditional norms and structures of governance in pursuit of its ideological goals. The coming months will reveal whether Johnson is able to navigate these treacherous waters more successfully than his predecessor.

FAQs:

Why was Kevin McCarthy removed as Speaker of the House?

Kevin McCarthy was removed as Speaker of the House after a vote of 216-210 on October 3, 2023. The vote was initiated by Rep. Matt Gaetz, who accused McCarthy of negotiating a secret deal with Democrats to provide more funding to Ukraine, which led to his ouster.

Who replaced Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House?

After several weeks of turmoil, Rep. Mike Johnson from Louisiana was elected as the new Speaker of the House on October 25, 2023. He was elected in a single round of voting with the backing of all Republicans present.

What challenges does Mike Johnson face as the new Speaker?

Mike Johnson faces significant challenges in uniting a fractured Republican conference and avoiding a government shutdown by the November 17 funding deadline. He is tasked with advancing a legislative agenda amid intense partisan polarization.

What is Mike Johnson’s political background?

Mike Johnson is a staunch social conservative and Trump ally with hard-right positions on issues like abortion and LGBTQ rights. Before becoming a congressman in 2017, he worked as a constitutional law attorney and served in the Louisiana state legislature.

How did Kevin McCarthy respond to his removal?

Kevin McCarthy stated that he would not run for speaker again, expressing that he fought for his beliefs and blamed Matt Gaetz and Democrats for his removal. He also mentioned that he might continue to fight in a different capacity.

What role did former President Donald Trump play in Mike Johnson’s election?

Former President Donald Trump supported Mike Johnson’s candidacy for Speaker, urging Republicans to back him as the leading candidate after initially endorsing McCarthy before his ouster.

What was the reaction from Democrats regarding Mike Johnson’s election?

Some Democrats expressed cautious optimism about working with Johnson due to his lower profile and less antagonistic style compared to McCarthy. However, others were concerned about his deeply conservative record and alliances with the far right.