Kevin McCarthy's Seat As House Speaker Under Threat As Far-Right Republicans Pitch Tom Emmer As Successor

A group of far-right House Republicans is planning to remove Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as House speaker as early as next week and pitching for Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), according to four anonymous sources. This move could cause further upheaval amid a potential government shutdown.

This faction of the party is rallying behind Emmer, a member of McCarthy’s leadership team, to succeed him as speaker. These members believe Emmer is more receptive to their concerns and can better deliver conservative results, reported The Washington Post.

There is no indication yet from Emmer if he would want to pursue the speakership or support a measure to remove McCarthy. 

Emmer told The Washington Post, "I fully support Speaker McCarthy. He knows that and I know that," and dismissed any interest in “palace intrigue.”

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Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), a known McCarthy critic, has threatened to instigate a "motion to vacate" to start the process that could lead to McCarthy's removal. According to insiders, Gaetz could initiate this as early as Sunday, triggering a 48-hour process to hold a vote.

It remains uncertain if far-right members will proceed with their plan or if the plotting serves merely as a warning to McCarthy about the seriousness of their dissatisfaction. Some members insist that ousting McCarthy is both "inevitable" and "imminent" and are calculating the right time to attempt it.

Ultimately, Democrats will decide McCarthy's fate since a motion to vacate needs the support of a majority of the House, 218 lawmakers, to succeed. Democrats have not yet determined whether they'll protect McCarthy's speakership or disassociate themselves from him.

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