GOP congressman calls ousting Kevin McCarthy ‘biggest mistake’ by conservatives KVAL
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WASHINGTON (TND) — Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., on Friday said the decision by conservative lawmakers to replace former Speaker Kevin McCarthy with current Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was a major misstep.
McCarthy was ousted as speaker in 2023, the first time in history such a move was taken against a sitting speaker. Weeks of turmoil ensued as Republican infighting slowed the eventual nomination of Speaker Johnson.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., later tried to also remove Speaker Johnson, though he managed to survive the effort against him.
The chaotic events, Rep. Massie wrote, represent a significant blunder by Republican lawmakers.
“Switching from McCarthy to Johnson was the biggest mistake I’ve seen conservatives make in my decade of serving in Congress,” he wrote in a seemingly unprompted post via X.
“Second biggest mistake is when Freedom Caucus voted for Paul Ryan after we got rid of John Boehner,” he added. “It’s like ground hog day.”