Kevin McCarthy allies started to 'take the temperature down' with his dissenters days before the heat climbed and broke in a floor drama straight from reality TV.
and Rosendale — walked to the floor silently. Ultimately, all of them would capitulate by voting present, finally awarding McCarthy the gavel.
But while multiple members began indicating they would oppose McCarthy as early as late November, his fate looked darkest 24 hours before the dawn. The California Republican, who saw his fellow “Young Guns” Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor chewed up by tea party conservatives, poured his political acumen — always more of his strength than policy — into steering around GOP pressure points, Trump chief among them. Jordan, McCarthy’s onetime antagonist, proved a critical partner in that effort throughout the days-long speakership crisis.
Rep. Eli Crane is seen with other House Republicans during voting in the final votes in the House speakership election at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6, 2023. | Francis Chung/POLITICO remained tight-lipped about his speaker vote and didn’t make a call until heading to the floor to cast his first ballot, he recalled.
“I think what happened is, he got hot, he got his feelings hurt ... he thought he was in a bad place,” one GOP lawmaker said, speaking candidly on condition of anonymity.
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