WASHINGTON — Republican Kevin McCarthy suffered a stunning and humiliating loss in the 14th round of balloting for speaker, just hours after he and his allies had put together a compromise they expected would win over his opponents.
Four hard-line conservative Republicans voted for someone other than McCarthy Friday night and two others voted present. That was enough to prevent him from winning a majority of all House members present and voting.
McCarthy had grown increasingly confident Friday as he won votes from 15 of the GOP opponents who had been blocking him. He and his allies anticipated they’d be able to win over just enough of the remaining holdouts to put an end to the matter and begin organizing the House, which has been at a standstill for four days.
The House is now voting to adjourn until Monday, which would allow Republicans to regroup and decide what to do next.
At one point, the bitter fight among Republicans escalated to shoving and shouting on chamber’s floor as McCarthy angrily confronted one of his most vocal and strident critics, Florida’s Matt Gaetz.
Four McCarthy opponents voted for someone else in the 14th round of balloting, the most the California Republican could afford to lose. Gaetz held out casting his vote until the very last moment, when it would be decisive. He then voted “present” which has left McCarthy just short of victory. Throughout the vote he was surrounded by McCarthy allies clearly pressing him on his vote.
The heated conversation included Gaetz appearing to accuse McCarthy of something and pointing his finger at him. McCarthy eventually left, flustered, without the vote he needed, as a stunned House watched the drama unfold.
