Democrats' advantage in 2024 election after McCarthy's loss

According to Sputnik, on October 4, two prominent Republican congressmen Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan announced that they would run for the position of Speaker of the House. The day before, eight Republican members, along with Democratic congressmen in the House, unanimously voted to remove Kevin McCarthy from office.

McCarthy won the chairmanship in January 2023 after a long, drawn-out vote that ended in a concession to the Republican Party’s ultra-conservative wing. Members of the House have recently accused McCarthy of violating the agreement, alleging that he had a secret deal with President Joe Biden to pass a recent bill to avoid a government shutdown. McCarthy has denied the allegations and said his vote against him was personal.

A Republican revolt against McCarthy in a divided House would be a major blow to the party's credibility with voters, said Ivan Eland, president of the Independent Institute's Center for Peace & Freedom.

“The Democrats won because they were able to show unity, both organizationally and policy-wise, as opposed to the chaos of the Republicans. At election time, the Democrats were able to establish themselves as a strong, mature party while the Republicans were in disarray and incapable of governing,” said Ivan. He predicted that the House would be in a lull until a new speaker was confirmed, but that could take a long time.

Meanwhile, former Pentagon analyst Winslow Wheeler said McCarthy and his Democratic opponents in the House of Representatives are waging a fierce partisan war. “Not only do Democrats not like McCarthy, they want to see more of the chaos that Republicans are experiencing,” Wheeler said.

Francis Buckley, a law professor at George Mason University, predicted that Rep. Scalise would likely become the next House speaker and would be a long-term beneficiary of McCarthy’s downfall. But the whole episode has brought the Republican Party to a low point.

In a related development, former US President Donald Trump confirmed his willingness to take over as Speaker of the House temporarily until Republican lawmakers can agree on the party's permanent legislative leader.

In an interview with Fox News Digital on October 5, former President Trump said he would temporarily assume the role of Speaker of the House if needed.

Lawmakers are expected to vote next week on a replacement for Kevin McCarthy. If selected, Mr. Trump would be in charge of the legislative agenda in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, even as he is a leading contender for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination.