(FreedomBeacon.com)- Friday night’s suspense in the United States House of Representatives was unprecedented. At the end of the evening, Matt Gaetz held the upper hand and eventually ended his efforts to deny Kevin McCarthy the Speakership.
Gaetz joined a group of Republican members of the House who were uneasy with McCarthy as speaker.
According to reports, on the thirteenth vote, the majority of the twenty voted for McCarthy, with only a few holding out.
McCarthy was certain to win the 14th vote moved to Friday evening. He was banking that some Democrats would leave the House, allowing him to win the speakership with fewer votes than would have been required if the entire House were present.
But McCarthy’s tone changed as the fourteenth vote progressed, and Rep. Matt Gaetz did not vote. Panic ensued. The voting had ended, and McCarthy lacked.
A video shows McCarthy approached Gaetz and attempted to converse with him, but to no avail.
McCarthy’s fellow Republican representative, Mike Rogers, became enraged and began shouting that he was “finished!” at Gaetz.
Both Rogers and his toupee had to be held back.
McCarthy’s supporters then moved for a vote to adjourn for the evening, but suddenly, Matt Gaetz stood up and addressed McCarthy.
The video shows Gaetz rushing near the front of the chamber and grabbing a red index card with less than a minute remaining in the vote. Gaetz approached McCarthy, and the two exchanged a few words. McCarthy then raised his hand and said, “One more!”
It was the final discussion for the Republican leader, capping a four-day emotional roller coaster. Dozens of Republicans joined McCarthy and Gaetz in defeating the adjournment motion, and McCarthy’s win appeared imminent.
When asked why he changed his position on McCarthy, Gaetz replied that he ran out of things he could even conceive of asking.
McCarthy may have won, but he had better watch his attitude. He will not be allowed to perform his usual elitist shenanigans.
