John F. Harris, Co-founder and Global Editor-in-Chief of Politico, discusses the ousting of Kevin McCarthy, analyzing the dysfunctional speakership and the motivations behind his fall. The podcast explores the hypothetical scenario of Donald Trump becoming the Speaker of the House and analyzes the chaos within the House Republican caucus, attributing it to Trump's influence and tribal politics.
Kevin McCarthy's tenure as Speaker of the House was marked by a lack of authority and an unruly Republican conference.
The removal of Kevin McCarthy reflects the division and disorganization within the Republican Party, potentially leading to a perpetuation of partisan combat and dominance of Donald Trump's politics.
Deep dives
The Challenges of McCarthy's Speakership
Kevin McCarthy traded away much of the authority traditionally associated with the Speaker of the House in order to win the speakership. This left him vulnerable and unable to exert the kind of power previous speakers had. His tenure as speaker was marked by an unruly and disorganized Republican conference.
The Ousting of Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy's removal as Speaker of the House was a long time coming. While the pretext for his ousting was the deal he struck to avert a government shutdown, the seeds of his removal were planted back in January when he traded away his influence on the Rules Committee. McCarthy's perceived lack of conservative principles and his transactional approach to politics further eroded his support within the Republican caucus.
Potential Successors and the Future of the House
With McCarthy gone, potential successors like Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan may emerge. However, the Republican conference is deeply divided and disorganized, making it difficult to predict who will come out on top. A Jim Jordan speakership would likely perpetuate the partisan combat we have seen in recent years, potentially making the house ungovernable until the next elections. Overall, McCarthy's removal reflects the dominance of Donald Trump's brand of politics within the Republican Party.
John F. Harris is the co-founder and Global Editor-in-Chief of Politico, where he has written about former Speaker McCarthy’s tumultuous Speakership in his “Altitude” column. Harris joins Preet to discuss why insurgent GOP Representatives ousted McCarthy last week – and what McCarthy’s fall can tell us about the state of the Republican Party.
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