What has unfolded in the United States is quite extraordinary. Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted by hardliners within his own party which has resulted in a massive political vacuum for Americans to contend with. The extraordinary 216-210 vote which included eight Republicans voting with 208 Democrats became a major occurrence as for the very first time in Congressional history an American leader of the lower chamber was pushed out of office. The hard-right, demagogic, anti-establishment wing of the Republicans of which many of them hailed from the ‘Freedom Caucus’ once again disrupted the smooth functioning of US democracy despite attempts to avert what would have been an impending government shutdown. 

The crass historical inability of the US establishment to rope in hardline elements is precisely what is leading this new trend of House Speakers being removed and democratic processes being thwarted. McCarthy’s predicament also has an unenviable history. Hardline Republicans have long been castigating moderate members of the GOP and Democrats over US aid being provided to fund the Ukraine War which on merit alone, is a valid reservation as only a peaceful solution based on dialogue and diplomacy can resolve the Ukraine quagmire. That said, the very same ‘spoilers’ also want to prevent the US from assuming its more pronounced and at times controversial role in international affairs. The push by the hardliner elements is for inward-looking policy making which includes domestic funding for border security, relief for climate-related disasters, and strengthening domestic law and order. 

What is absorbing however, is that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy sought to allay concerns and overcome divisiveness in the US Congress by dropping provisions on assistance to Ukraine and reaching a bipartisan deal on a stopgap spending bill to avert an impending governmental shutdown. For most, McCarthy’s tactics were shrewd but his conciliatory approach was met with cold shoulders by his critics who accused him of ‘colluding’ with Democrats to launch a separate voting session on funding later. Based on mere allegations, the rebels decided to topple him. 

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Spearheading the coup is Matt Gaetz, a forty-one-year-old Congressman from Florida and head of the ‘hard right’ of the Republican Party. He has openly supported disgraced, white supremacist President Donald Trump over the latter’s contested claims of Joe Biden stealing the 2020 US election and is implicated in a sexual misconduct, drug abuse, and misuse of finances scandal by the House Ethics Committee. His controversial profile is loathed by mainstream Republicans and has not been guarded by McCarthy which is one of the reasons why Gaetz turned against him. Additionally, the Congressman has been at the forefront of denialism as far as COVID-19, race relations, and police violence are concerned which makes him a key disruptor who remains on the fringes of the Republicans. 

Now comes the alarming part. The fact that a fringe element has ousted a US House Speaker trying to bridge divides in an already polarized and divided Congress, is a telling sign for American democracy. By getting hold of Republicans, Nancy Mace, Andy Biggs, Eli Crane, Matt Rosendale, Bob Good, and Ken Buck, Gaetz won gold by removing the gavel from McCarthy’s hands and putting the House in flux, chaos, and uncertainty. Immediately after the removal, an acting speaker, Patrick McHenry was appointed for just three legislative days. Yet with the Republicans enjoying a thin but meaningful majority in the House, a small fraction of conservatives led by Gaetz can also eventually remove McCarthy’s successor. According to Rachel Blum, a professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma, a chaotic environment has been created from McCarthy’s removal with a possible cycle of removals of House speakers very much on the cards. 

Dr. Rachel’s observations have been echoed by other experts who believe that the US government and the House could witness chronic dysfunctionality from the ouster. House Republicans have been seen privately debating on who the next speaker should be. Alarmingly, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee who is also the former head of the right-wing Freedom Caucus, Jim Jordan announced his candidacy for the post alongside Steve Scalise. Adding to the drama is the undisputed fact that whoever wins and becomes the House Speaker must appease Gaetz and his colleagues in the Republican caucus while simultaneously running a functioning chamber. This proves to be a cumbersome and tedious task given that the US government remains divided on partisan lines as the Democrats control the Senate and the White House while the Republicans hold the House. Any chances of Congress passing all-encompassing, major legislation is severely truncated and unlikely.  

The speaker debacle indicates the failure of US governance. The inability to adopt shrewd policies which caters to ever-growing demands for passing new bills, legislations and adequate government oversight is a massive problem. For years, the United States has often touted its democratic model as ideal and even rivaling the Westminster-style democratic systems practiced in Europe and in post-colonial states. The truth is that right-wing disruptions are being allowed to fester in an environment that is deeply divided. Confidence in the Biden administration’s ability to deliver is at an all-time low while Donald Trump remains embroiled in a multitude of cases, both civil and federal in nature. 

McCarthy’s removal by the fringe is yet another failure of American democracy.