Trump endorses ex-Kevin McCarthy aide Vince Fong to fill vacant seat as his former aides back Fong’s opponent

Former President Donald Trump is throwing his support behind ex-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s chosen successor for his empty seat in Congress.

Vince Fong, a California Assembly member who worked as McCarthy’s district director for almost a decade, is one of nine candidates running to replace him in Central Valley for his House seat.

One of his opponents, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux, has courted the endorsements of former Trump officials like former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell and ex-chief deputy, Kash Patel.

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"I am proud to join California’s Republican Congressional Delegation, and give Vince Fong my Complete and Total Endorsement!" Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. "Vince was one of only 6 Republicans in the State Assembly to stand with me, and reject the Second Impeachment Hoax. In Congress, Vince will work with me to Grow the Economy, Lower your Taxes, Cut Burdensome Regulations, Champion American Energy, and Protect and Defend the Second Amendment, which is under siege by the Radical Left."

Endorsing Boudreaux last month, Grenell and Patel described him as the anti-establishment, America First choice. "Sheriff Mike Boudreaux is an America First patriot who has proven he is a principled fighter for freedom," Grenell said, The Porterville Recorder reported at the time. "California needs leaders with courage to stand up to Washington bureaucrats. His record proves he is the right choice for the Valley."

TULARE COUNTY SHERIFF MIKE BOUDREAUX ON THE CARTEL STYLE HIT THAT KILLED SIX PEOPLE

Patel said, "Sheriff Boudreaux is the kind of leader we need in Congress, one with the courage to stand up and fight, not back down, and put American first," The Recorder reported.

Patel declined to comment further when reached Wednesday by Fox News Digital. Grenell did not immediately respond.

McCarthy resigned from the House of Representatives on Dec. 31, nearly three months after he became the first speaker in history to be ousted from the job.

It’s a deep-red district, anchored in Bakersfield, and Fong’s Republican opponents have already been fighting to appeal to Trump’s MAGA base.

Another of his opponents, Kyle Kirkland, is a business owner and nonprofit animal rescue operator who is attempting to portray himself as an outsider. His website proudly declares he’s "not a career politician."

Trump’s endorsement of Fong is likely to give him a boost with voters who may have been wary over his years-long ties to the GOP establishment. Fong wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, soon after the former president’s announcement, "Thank you… for your endorsement! Let’s get to work to secure the border, improve our economy, and defend our water and energy resources!"

Fox News Digital reached out to Fong for further comment. 

The election to replace McCarthy is scheduled for May 21. Before that, the pool of nine candidates will get whittled down to two in a March 19 primary. 

Rather than holding party-specific primaries to nominate candidates for the general, California’s election laws mandate a single "jungle primary" where the top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election.

McCarthy is widely held as an establishment Republican who also worked to become a staunch Trump ally.

Just before a group of eight hardline GOP lawmakers voted with all House Democrats to oust McCarthy, the former president wrote on Truth Social, "Why is it that Republicans are always fighting among themselves?"

Kevin McCarthy to resign from Congress after being ousted as House speaker

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., announced Wednesday that he will resign from his congressional seat after being ousted as House Speaker. 

McCarthy made the announcement in an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal. 

"No matter the odds, or personal cost, we did the right thing. That may seem out of fashion in Washington these days, but delivering results for the American people is still celebrated across the country. It is in this spirit that I have decided to depart the House at the end of this year to serve America in new ways. I know my work is only getting started," McCarthy wrote. "I will continue to recruit our country’s best and brightest to run for elected office. The Republican Party is expanding every day, and I am committed to lending my experience to support the next generation of leaders."

McCarthy surmised, "It often seems that the more Washington does, the worse America gets. I started my career as a small-business owner, and I look forward to helping entrepreneurs and risk-takers reach their full potential. The challenges we face are more likely to be solved by innovation than legislation."

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He detailed, "the most reliable solution to what ails America is before our eyes: everyday men and women who are raising families, showing up for work, volunteering, and pursuing the American Dream with passion and purpose. I agree with President Reagan’s observation that ‘all great change in America starts at the dinner table.’"

"Despite the best attempts by special interest groups and the news media to divide us, I have seen the goodness of the American people. They are what will ultimately uphold the enduring values of our great nation. We all have a role to play in that effort," McCarthy wrote. "I never could have imagined the journey when I first threw my hat into the ring. I go knowing I left it all on the field – as always, with a smile on my face. And looking back, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Only in America."

McCarthy started the op-ed by writing, "I’m an optimist. How could I not be?" He went on to detail how he’s the son of a firefighter and served in the same congressional seat for the last 17 years, ironically from the same office in which he was previously denied an internship. 

He recalled how he helped Republicans to a House majority twice. "We got more Republican women, veterans and minorities elected to Congress at one time than ever before," he wrote. "I remained cheerfully persistent when elected speaker because I knew what we could accomplish."

Listing his accomplishments, he continued, "Even with slim margins in the House, we passed legislation to secure the border, achieve energy independence, reduce crime, hold government accountable and establish a Parents’ Bill of Rights. We did exactly what we said we would do.

MCCARTHY MAKES STUNNING ADMISSION ON BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY: THE FACTS HAVE LED 'EVEN CLOSER'

"We kept our eyes on America’s long-term global challenges by restoring the Intelligence Committee to its original charter and establishing a bipartisan Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party," McCarthy wrote. "We reduced the deficit by more than $2 trillion, revamped work requirements for adults on the sidelines, cut red tape for critical domestic energy projects, and protected the full faith and credit of the U.S. We kept our government operating and our troops paid while wars broke out around the world." 

McCarthy was the first House speaker to be voted out of the position in U.S. history. 

With the departure of former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., and McCarthy, the House GOP margin goes down to just two at the end of the year. 

At the start of 2024, the House will have 220 sitting Republicans and 213 Democrats, with two vacancies. 

A 218 majority is needed to pass legislation, meaning the GOP can only afford to lose two votes to pass a bill. If the GOP loses three votes, that legislative proposal will fail. 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, has already set a special election for Santos' Third District on Feb. 13. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, also a Democrat, must announce a special election date within 14 days of McCarthy's exit. 

McCarthy will leave Congress two months after he was booted from his House Speakership position after his top rival, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., orchestrated the rare vote on the obscure "motion to vacate." Though McCarthy maintained support from most Republicans in the House, eight GOP detractors ultimately ushered in his ouster in October, mainly taking issue with McCarthy for choosing to work with Democrats to temporarily delay a federal government shutdown. 

At the start of this year, Republicans held only a fragile margin in the chamber after a predicted "red wave" failed to materialize in the 2022 elections.

McCarthy endured a days-long floor fight in January that eventually resulted in his ascension to the House’s top job at a time when deep divisions within the GOP raised serious questions about the party’s ability to govern following former President Trump leaving office. 

It took a record 15 votes over four days for McCarthy to line up the support he needed to win the post he had long coveted, finally prevailing on a 216-212 vote with Democrats backing leader Hakeem Jeffries and six Republican holdouts voting present. Not since the Civil War era has a speaker’s vote dragged through so many rounds of counting.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Fox News' Remy Numa and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

December deadlines: Things are a little different around Capitol Hill before the Christmas cutoff

Every December seemingly has a deadline on Capitol Hill.

To impeach the President.

To fund the government.

To avoid the fiscal cliff.

To raise the debt ceiling.

To approve a payroll tax cut.

To pass tax reform.

To allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

To pass Obamacare.

To undo Obamacare.

But things are a little different around Capitol Hill this December.

CONGRESS AIMS TO HOLD VOTE TO INITIATE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

There’s no single, sweeping issue that is consuming Congress. Sure, there are lots of things to do. In fact, big things — which we’ll outline shortly. But the feeling this Christmas at the Capitol is different. No government shutdown is looming (talk to us about that in January and February). And while Congress has faced concrete deadlines before, there is no absolute, drop-dead date to complete anything.

Except there is a cutoff point. It’s the same as every other year: December 25th.

Lawmakers have three weeks to handle lots of things.

But it’s unclear if they’ll crank through them. And that’s why there’s the potential for Congress to linger in Washington and maybe — just maybe — still slam into the December 25th deadline.

Let’s start with impeachment.

No, the House is not going to impeach President Biden before Christmas. You might remember that December is kind of "impeachment month" on Capitol Hill. The House impeached President Clinton on Dec. 19, 1998, for obstructing justice and lying after his affair with Monica Lewinsky. The House impeached former President Trump — the first time — on Dec. 18, 2019, for abusing his power and obstructing justice as it pertained to Ukraine.

Notice a pattern?

While those votes were actual resolutions to impeach the President, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is just pushing a plan to formalize an impeachment inquiry. FOX is told the goal is to pass the impeachment probe resolution next week.

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House Republicans have nibbled around the edges of impeachment for months. But the House never adopted a measure officially authorizing impeachment.

"Now we're being stonewalled by the White House because they're preventing at least two to three DOJ witnesses from coming forward," said Johnson on FOX. "So a formal impeachment inquiry vote on the floor will allow us to take it to the next necessary step. And I think it's something we have to do at this juncture."

Plus, Johnson needs to notch a political and legislative win.

Johnson hasn’t had much to crow about since he first clasped the Speaker’s gavel in October. He quickly passed a bill to boost Israel in its fight against Hamas. But since then, Johnson has presided over a House majority that encountered multiple stumbles in efforts to pass their own spending bills. The highlight of Johnson’s short tenure may have been the expulsion of former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y. — which Johnson and other GOP leaders opposed.

But impeachment could boost the GOP — especially as Congress stares at the possibility of dual government shutdowns over the winter.

"If it goes to the floor, we're going to pass it. There's no question," said House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., about an impeachment inquiry vote.

It’s about the math.

Republicans can only lose three votes on their side and prevail and still open an impeachment investigation. For months, moderates resisted an impeachment vote. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., initiated an impeachment inquiry — without an official vote — because he never had the votes. Moreover, McCarthy needed to do something to move the needle on his side of the aisle when GOP spending bills began stalling on the floor and conservatives grew restless over his debt ceiling pact with President Biden.

But votes to potentially launch an impeachment inquiry began to fall into place over the past few weeks. House Republicans believe things changed over Thanksgiving — after lawmakers were marooned in Washington for nearly 11 consecutive weeks since late summer.

"They met people in Walmart and people on Main Street, and they're like, ‘What in the world did the Bidens do to receive millions and millions of dollars from our enemies around the world? And did they not pay taxes on it?’ So they heard from their constituents," said House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky.

Democrats accuse Republicans of a political diversion ahead of an election year.

GOOD TIDINGS AND CHEER, UNLESS YOU'RE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

"This is all part of a phony effort by extreme MAGA Republicans to distract the American people because they have no track record of accomplishment," said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

But impeachment isn’t what is most vexing to many on Capitol Hill this December.

Major issues loom over passing the annual defense policy bill. But it faces a dispute over declassifying some information related to Unidentified Aeriel Phenomena (UAPs). Renewing the foreign surveillance counter-terrorism program known as "FISA." And then there is the big one: President Biden’s international aid package for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. The status of that bill is much harder to read because there’s no hard deadline — except Christmas. And the end of the year. And then when the focus pivots in January to averting a government shutdown.

To some, it would be hard to see Congress leaving town before the holiday without addressing Israel and Ukraine. Republicans insist that Democrats attach a robust border security plan to the package. However, Republicans aren’t even in agreement on what those border provisions might look like. But, if the plan blows up, Republicans hope to blame Democrats who are getting hammered politically for not tackling the border.

White House Budget Director Shalanda Young sent an urgent letter to lawmakers Monday, saying Congress was about to "kneecap" Ukraine by not passing the aid.

Talks over the border went sideways in recent days, perhaps scuttling the supplemental spending plan.

And if Congress doesn’t pass the international aid bill?

"You can bet Vladimir Putin is watching. Hamas is watching. Iran, President Xi, North Korea, all of our adversaries. They’re watching closely," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "If Congress fails to defend democracy in its hour of need because of border policies inspired by Donald Trump or Stephen Miller, the judgment of history will be harsh indeed."

But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., lashed his colleagues across the aisle.

"Democrats appear to be hell-bent on exhausting every half-baked idea before they get serious about actually fixing our border," said McConnell. "Senate Republicans know that national security begins with border security. And we’ve made it crystal clear that in order to pass the Senate, any measure we take up in the coming days must include serious policy changes designed to get the Biden Administration’s border crisis under control."

So it’s unclear if the fight over the border and the international aid package could keep Congress here close to Christmas this year — entering the special legislative pantheon of five-alarm fires which have screwed up other holiday seasons on Capitol Hill.

But things are a little different around the Capitol this December.

And even if Congress abandons Washington without finishing everything, no one will be celebrating.

Tennessee lawmaker calls on House GOP to ‘lock the door’ and work through weekend to elect speaker

A Tennessee Republican lawmaker is calling on his party to convene and "lock the door" until a speaker is chosen — even if it means sacrificing the weekend.

Tennessee GOP Rep. Andy Ogles is sending around a dear colleague letter to his fellow House GOP lawmakers calling for the conference to continue meeting until a speaker is chosen.

Fox News Digital obtained the letter Ogles is sending around to his House Republican colleagues amid the battle for the gavel.

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"As the GOP Conference remains deadlocked in the contest for Speaker of the House of Representatives, it is clear that going to the Floor and having a drawn-out competition damages our credibility with the American people," Ogles wrote in the letter Thursday.

"For the sake of good governance, we owe it to our constituents to meet later today at Conference, lock the door, and not adjourn until we have selected our new Speaker — weekends are no longer eligible for time off," the Tennessee freshman lawmaker continued.

Ogles wrote that the GOP conference "can no longer continue the song and dance routine of meeting and adjourning without coming to a consensus."

"Americans shouldn't be asked to wait longer for Congress to renew its efforts to tackle the opioid crisis, the border crisis, the spending crisis, and the barbaric terrorists responsible for the unprovoked attack against Israel," the letter reads.

"We cannot afford to allow our Caucus to appear as if it is [lackadaisical] in its approach to good governance," Ogles wrote. "I look forward to seeing each of you later tonight."

Ogles' letter comes as the House sits at a standstill without a top dog to lead the lower chamber after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's historic ouster last week.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., was chosen as the GOP's nominee for speaker on Wednesday, but he dropped out of the race Thursday night following a closed-door meeting with fellow House Republicans.

SCALISE DROPS OUT OF RACE FOR HOUSE SPEAKER

It quickly became clear after his nomination that Scalise did not have the support needed to win a House-wide vote. With just a razor-thin majority, he could only afford to lose four GOP members to still clinch the gavel without Democratic support.

House Republicans are expected to meet Friday morning to choose a new speaker candidate.

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind contributed reporting.

Pelosi denies breaking promise to back McCarthy in speakership vote

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Friday denied that she had promised to support her fellow Californian Rep. Kevin McCarthy as he was ousted as speaker.

"Kevin McCarthy says that you essentially broke a promise to him to keep Democrats with him if there was a vote against him. Is that not true?" FOX 11 Los Angeles anchor Elex Michaelson asked Pelosi in a recent interview. 

Shaking her head, Pelosi said she had never promised to help McCarthy, R-Calif., remain as speaker.

"Not really. I had no promise to him," Pelosi told FOX 11. "Our Democratic members made that decision." 

GOP LAWMAKERS DENY REVENGE PLAY AGAINST PELOSI WITH OFFICE EVICTIONS AFTER MCCARTHY OUSTER

McCarthy lost the speaker's gavel this week after a handful of hardliners in the Republican conference led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., forced a vote to vacate the chair. Eight Republicans and every Democrat voted together to remove McCarthy as House speaker. 

At a press conference after the vote, McCarthy blamed Democrats for his ouster, arguing they should have voted against the motion to vacate the chair for institutional reasons.

McCarthy claimed to have had a discussion with Pelosi in the days leading up to the vote and told reporters she had promised to support him.

But Pelosi said Democrats had numerous reasons to vote to oust McCarthy, citing the Republican-led impeachment inquiry into President Biden and McCarthy's support for former President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. 

NANCY PELOSI EVICTED FROM HER PRIVATE OFFICE IN THE CAPITOL BY INTERIM HOUSE SPEAKER

"If you don’t respect the institution then don’t expect us to bail you out," she said.

McCarthy has since said he will not run for speaker again. On Friday, he denied reports that he will resign from Congress, saying, "I'm not resigning. I got a lot more work to do." 

McCarthy was succeeded by Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., a temporary replacement until the House votes on a permanent one next week. Among his first acts as speaker pro-tempore, McHenry evicted Pelosi from her private Capitol office in what was claimed to be an act of retaliation after McCarthy was ousted.

However, several GOP lawmakers told Fox News Digital that the evictions were not rooted in vengeance, but rather because the office is reserved for the immediately preceding speaker.

WHO IS PATRICK MCHENRY, SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE OF HOUSE FOLLOWING MCCARTHY'S OUSTER?

"This was a decision by Speaker Pelosi in getting removed because that is the office for the former speaker," Louisiana GOP Rep. Garret Graves told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

"She's no longer the immediately preceding speaker so that was a decision she made by evicting Kevin McCarthy," Graves continued. "That was her own decision."

House Freedom Caucus chairman Scott Perry, R-Pa., said the evictions were not done in revenge but that it seems to him "unfortunately that we have an unexpected recent vacancy in this with the speaker's office and that speaker that's been recently the speaker now has to have a place per the rules."

"So that [place] needs to be reoccupied or occupied by somebody different," Perry said. "That's just the that's just the flow of business here."

Fox News' Houston Keene contributed to this report.

House Republicans move ‘full steam ahead’ on impeachment inquiry even amid speaker uncertainty

The House impeachment inquiry against President Biden will continue "full steam ahead," with "further action" expected in the coming days, despite the uncertainty surrounding who will take the helm as speaker of the House of Representatives following the ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Fox News Digital has learned.

McCarthy, R-Calif., who served as speaker of the House from late January through October and is the first in United States history to have been voted to be removed from the post supported the launch of an impeachment inquiry against the president last month, after months of GOP-led investigations into his family’s business dealings and whether he was involved.

WHAT DOES MCCARTHY'S REMOVAL MEAN FOR BIDEN INVESTIGATIONS, DAILY FUNCTIONING OF THE HOUSE? EXPERTS WEIGH IN

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., were tasked by McCarthy with leading the impeachment inquiry.

But even with McCarthy ousted, their investigations are expected to continue.

"Full steam ahead," a senior Judiciary Committee aide told Fox News Digital.

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Jordan announced his bid for speaker of the House on Wednesday morning, just hours after McCarthy’s ouster.

And an Oversight Committee spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the committee’s work "continues."

"The committee is continuing to review documents, records, and communications and will take further action in the coming days," the Oversight spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the Ways & Means Committee concurred. 

"The Ways and Means Committee remains committed to holding the following the facts where the evidence leads," the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

HUNTER BIDEN RECEIVED $250K WIRES ORIGINATING IN BEIJING WITH BENEFICIARY ADDRESS LISTED AS JOE BIDEN'S HOME

Despite the speaker vacancy, subpoenas that have already been issued by committees as part of the impeachment inquiry—like subpoenas for Hunter Biden and James Biden’s personal and business bank records—as well as those issued as part of general Biden administration oversight, remain valid.

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The next steps in the investigation come after the committees hold their first joint-panel impeachment inquiry hearing last week.

The GOP lawmakers say the financial records that the Oversight Committee has obtained to date "reveal a pattern where the Bidens sold access to Joe Biden around the world to enrich the Biden family."

Fox News Digital first reported that the House Oversight Committee has learned that the Biden family and their business associates brought in more than $24 million between 2014 and 2019 by "selling Joe Biden as ‘the brand’ around the world."

The scope of the impeachment inquiry covers the span the time of Biden’s vice presidency to the present, including his time out of office.

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But beyond investigating Biden’s ties to his family’s business dealings, House Republicans are also probing the alleged obstruction of the Justice Department’s years-long federal investigation into Hunter Biden. The allegations stem from IRS whistleblowers who allege politics influenced prosecutorial steps throughout the probe.

The White House maintains that President Biden was never in business with his son and never discussed business with his son or his family. White House officials have blasted the impeachment inquiry against the president as an "evidence-free" political stunt. 

What does McCarthy’s removal mean for Biden investigations, daily functioning of the House? Experts weigh in

EXCLUSIVE: Academics and experts with in-depth knowledge on how the U.S. government operates told Fox News Digital that former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's, R-Calif., removal from his post on Tuesday would likely not prevent the chamber from continuing to function, which includes the investigations into the Biden family and the impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

"There's nothing that requires committees to slow down their activities, so there's no reason why the Hunter Biden investigation or the impeachment-related investigation conducted on a joint committee basis would have to slow down," said Steven S. Smith, a professor at the Arizona State University School of Politics & Global Affairs.

Smith went on to say that "not a whole lot" would happen with the investigations in the span of a week anyway, assuming the search for a new permanent speaker to replace McCarthy and take over for Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry swiftly concludes.

TOP REPUBLICAN REP. STEVE SCALISE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO REPLACE KEVIN MCCARTHY AS SPEAKER

"Of course, members are going to be distracted. So maybe some meetings are going to be called off because members are worrying about electing a speaker for the time being. If it goes longer than the end of next week, then I think there's going to be some serious issues about how they proceed," he added.

Mark Harkins and Joseph Huder, both senior fellows at The Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University. agreed with Smith.

"Today's event was historic. It was huge, but effectively it changed nothing," Huder told Fox. "The House has its rules, it's got committees, they're all empowered to do investigations, they're empowered to subpoena, to take witness testimony. The speaker, as the speaker pro tempore, has the powers of the speakership, and until he is reined in by his majority, he can use those as freely as the previous speaker."

‘SHELL SHOCKED’ KEVIN MCCARTHY WILL NOT RUN FOR HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN FOLLOWING REMOVAL

"All of the kind of institutional mechanics at the House level operate just the same as they were. They're in place, and they're not going to change just because there's no speaker. What does change are some of the politics behind the scenes, and that's where it gets very murky about what Mr. McHenry can and cannot do," Huder added.

Harkins explained that the difference between January – when the House was at a standstill prior to McCarthy's election as speaker – and now is that the rules of the House have been established and there is somebody actually acting as speaker.

"So the committees can continue their operations. There's no change there. The only possible minor change that could happen that doesn't have to do with the Biden family investigations is that the Financial Services Committee, which Speaker Pro Tempore McHenry is the chair of, may pass off to somebody else as a chair for the interim," Harkins said. 

WHO IS PATRICK MCHENRY, SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE OF HOUSE FOLLOWING MCCARTHY'S OUSTER?

"There's nothing that needs to stop the chairs of the various committees doing investigations, whether it's Oversight or Ways and Means or Judiciary, from continuing to do their work and continuing to have public hearings. So that's the biggest difference," he added.

Clint Brown, the Heritage Foundation's vice president of government relations, agreed, but told Fox the main focus of the House would be to "quickly try to settle the question of speaker."

"They'll be focused on that, at least initially. It's a tough issue to resolve. It's going to require a lot of agreement. Failing agreement early on, the chairmen are still chairmen, the rest of the elected House leadership is still elected, including the whip and the majority leader. The majority leader schedules votes on the floor. The House can continue to function if it needs to under a speaker pro tempore," he said.

McCarthy was removed from his short-lived speakership by a narrow 216-210 vote on Tuesday, with eight Republicans joining all Democrats in voting in favor of the motion to vacate that was introduced late Monday by U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

According to U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., the GOP conference's plan was to have a candidate forum on Tuesday then a vote on Wednesday to decide who would succeed McCarthy.

House Democrats celebrate Republican chaos after helping GOP rebels oust speaker McCarthy

Some House Democrats celebrated the motion to vacate Speaker Kevin McCarthy from the House, while others described it as a "solemn" day in America.

All 208 House Democrats who were present voted to oust McCarthy Tuesday afternoon. Five Republican votes were needed to boot McCarthy, and eight ultimately voted with Democrats to put the nail in the coffin.

"This is a solemn day in the U.S. House of Representatives," Democratic Whip Katherine Clark said in a statement Tuesday. "Through his duplicitous misuse of power, profound disregard for the needs of the American people, and disloyalty to anyone but himself, Kevin McCarthy has proven unworthy of presiding over the House."

She added: "But the Republican civil war is bigger than one man. Right-wing MAGA extremism has enveloped the Republican Party and taken over the business of the People’s House."

GAETZ TAKES VICTORY LAP AFTER HISTORIC VOTE TO BOOT MCCARTHY FROM HOUSE SPEAKERSHIP

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., echoed the sentiment, deeming the vote a "solemn" moment in America.

"House Democrats will continue to put people over politics and work together in a bipartisan way to make life better for everyday Americans. It is our hope that traditional Republicans will walk away from MAGA extremism and join us in partnership for the good of the country," he said.

"Republicans, you’re welcome to join us and vote for Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker of the House," Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., a progressive "squad" member said on X.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., another member of the squad, called McCarthy a "threat to our democracy" in a lengthy statement posted to X.

"He literally voted to overturn the 2020 election results, overthrow the duly elected President, and did nothing to discourage his Members from doing the same," Omar said of McCarthy. 

HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS SAY THEY WILL VOTE TO OUST MCCARTHY

Omar added McCarthy is a "weak politician."

Rep. Chuey Garcia, D-Chicago, also said on X he has "no interest in bailing out Team Extreme."

Hardline conservatives and progressive Democrats locked arms across the aisle to seal the deal on Tuesday, as the vote to vacate commenced after an hour of passionate debate with McCarthy supporters and dissenters.

Both parties pointed fingers at McCarthy, as Gaetz introduced a motion to vacate on Monday night, accusing him of breaking the promises he made to win the speaker's gavel in January. Meanwhile, Democrats condemned his "lack of interest in bipartisanship" and Republicans jabbing his failure to pass a government spending patch with additional border security provisions and not enough budget cuts. 

Democrat Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey said McCarthy "empowered right wing extremists" and "consistently broke his word."

"Instead, Mr. McCarthy empowered right-wing extremists at every turn - bringing us to the brink of defaults and shutdowns, failing to uphold the debt-ceiling agreement he made with the President, relentlessly attacking women's reproductive freedom, blocking votes to prevent gun violence, and launching a baseless impeachment inquiry built on lies and conspiracy theories," she said.

MATT GAETZ INTRODUCES MOTION TO VACATE AGAINST HOUSE SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY

Democrats signaled early on Tuesday that they would not be inclined to help McCarthy. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said before the vote: "Democrats are ready to find bipartisan common ground. Our extreme colleagues have shown no willingness to do the same. They must find a way to end the House Republican Civil War."

In January, it took 15 rounds of voting until McCarthy was elected.

McCarthy angered hardliners over the weekend when he passed a short-term spending bill known as a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open for 45 days, in order to avert a government shutdown and give lawmakers more time to cobble together 12 individual spending bills.

Fox News' Liz Elkind contributed to this report. 

Pro-Trump conservatives rail against Matt Gaetz over push to oust McCarthy: ‘Self-destructive’

Conservatives aligned with former President Donald Trump are coming out in opposition to the motion by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to vacate House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., over the stopgap government funding bill passed late Saturday.

Gaetz threatened over the weekend that he would file the motion this week, which would aim to effectively oust McCarthy from the speakership after he accused McCarthy of making a "side deal" with Democrats to send additional aid to Ukraine. McCarthy, who said he supports arming Ukraine, but not sending additional money to Ukraine, rejected the notion that a side deal took place with Democrats or President Biden.

"For all the crocodile tears about what may happen later this week about a motion to vacate, working with the Democrats is a yellow brick road that has been paved by Speaker McCarthy," Gaetz said during a floor speech Monday afternoon. "Whether it was the debt limit deal, the [continuing resolution], or now the secret deal on Ukraine." 

"This is swampy log-rolling," Gaetz added. "The American people deserve single subject bills. I get that a lot of folks might disagree with my perspectives on the border or on Ukraine – but can we at least agree that no matter how you feel about Ukraine or the southern border, they each deserve the dignity of their own consideration and should not be rolled together where they might pass, where each individually wouldn't. This is what we're trying to get away from."

HOUSE GOP MEMBERS SEEK TO EXPEL GAETZ AMID RENEWED THREAT TO VACATE HOUSE SPEAKER MCCARTHY

On Saturday, the House and Senate passed a stopgap government funding bill which Biden signed later that evening. The bill – which passed the House in a 335-91 vote – helped avoid a government shutdown, which would have resulted in thousands of federal employees being furloughed, and extended funding through mid-November.

Gaetz ultimately filed a motion to vacate on Monday evening, hours after he said in his floor speech to "stay tuned." The House is poised to vote on the motion Tuesday afternoon after a separate effort to kill the motion failed.

His actions garnered pushback from Republicans, including those who have traditionally been aligned with Trump.

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"Yes, that is correct," conservative commentator Mark Levin said Monday. "The guy who says McCarthy is the Democrats' speaker is plotting and scheming with the radical Democrats to take out a Republican speaker who is more conservative than he is (McCarthy backed the Freedom Caucus CR and the cuts and border security, which Gaetz and 4 others killed)." 

"There are now numerous reports that Gaetz is doing this not because he insists that McCarthy interfered with an ethics investigation of him, which a speaker cannot do and has never done," Levin continued. "I might add that after two years it's about time the Ethics Committee release its report and either lift the cloud over Gaetz or clear him. Gaetz should demand this as well."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., added that, while she shared substantive concerns about McCarthy's leadership with Gaetz, she wouldn’t support a motion to vacate.

"What I see is a system of failure and a federal government that serves the world first and America last and my desire for wanting to fix it is why I ran for Congress in the first place," the Georgia Republican said. "So I agree with Matt Gaetz that things must change, but I don’t agree that a motion to vacate will effectively create the changes needed to solve the intentional systemic failure that create the annual never-ending CR’s and Christmas omnibus mega spending packages."

"A [motion to vacate] of our speaker gives the upper hand to the Democrats, during dangerous times while we have been handed over under the presidency of an ailing old man ridden with dementia, whom has spent over 50 years in Washington seats of power corruptly enriching himself and his family by delivering policy deals to foreign investors," she added.

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Additionally, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich suggested GOP leadership could expel Gaetz from the House Republican Conference and eliminate his committee assignments.

"Is Gaetz secretly an agent for the Democratic Party? No one else is doing as much to undermine, weaken and cripple the House GOP," Gingrich said in a social media post.

Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, a former Trump aide who was endorsed by the former president, blasted Gaetz in a post on X Tuesday, saying, "It says a lot that Matt Gaetz and his small crew of supposed conservatives are speaking from the Democrat side of the House chamber."

"Instead of working on appropriations bills, we watch as Gaetz joins with Democrats to halt our conservative agenda," he added.

And Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., who was endorsed by Trump during the 2022 election, blasted the effort to file a motion to vacate as counterproductive and self-destructive during a floor speech that preceded Gaetz's on Monday.

"We are faced with the threat that a Republican will move to vacate the Republican speaker of the House. It will only require four other Republican members to join the Democrats to achieve this result," McClintock said. "The immediate effect will be to paralyze the House indefinitely because no other business can be taken up until a replacement is elected."

"Just when we are on the verge of completing the appropriations process, that in turn will finally initiate discussions with the Senate that are vital to change the dangerous path that our country is on – I cannot conceive of a more counterproductive and self-destructive course than that," the California Republican added. "The supreme irony is that this is being initiated by self-described conservatives."

Also on Monday, former senior White House adviser Stephen Miller said McCarthy is "not going to be going anywhere" and called for unity among Republicans to solve border security issues.

"I think at this point in time, it's very clear that Kevin is not going to be going anywhere," Miller said in an interview with FOX Business. "He has the support of 218 members and I understand and I need to – everybody rise above. I understand all the emotions that are playing out right now." 

"But for the love of God, we are losing this country and we are losing it fast," he continued. "Republicans need to unify around the twin mission of stopping the open border invasion and stopping a government that has been weaponized against conservatives and Christians and anyone who does not subscribe to the tenets of the radical left."

Gaetz's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

The Speaker’s Lobby: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to a possible government shutdown

Government funding expires at 11:59:59 pm et on September 30.

And right now, House Republicans, despite holding the majority, can’t pass any spending bills by themselves.

The House has tried for two weeks to get clearance on a procedural vote for the House to even launch debate on a defense spending bill. That’s a measure most Republicans support. In fact House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., says he’s never heard a Republican articulate what’s wrong with the bill.

Republicans passed one of the 12 annual spending bills in July. And now Republicans have practically torpedoed their trial balloon package rolled out over the weekend. That plan would re-up government funding to avoid a shutdown for 31 days and attach language to bolster border security. The House had planned to vote on that bill Thursday

HOUSE REPUBLICANS HOLD CONFERENCE CALL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, PASS DEFENSE SPENDING BILL

It was a bad omen for a potential government shutdown when Republicans blew up their own procedural vote, blocking the House from beginning debate on the defense bill Tuesday.

"Is this another blow to you," yours truly asked McCarthy.

"You think it’s a blow. I just think it’s another challenge," replied McCarthy.

"Most Speakers are able to get their defense bills onto the floor," I countered.

"You assume it’s over," responded McCarthy. "I don’t quit."

McCarthy then warned that he would keep everyone here this weekend to vote.

"We’re going to vote on appropriations bills, whether they pass them or not," said McCarthy.

That is, if they can even bring them to the floor.

The votes have never caramelized for McCarthy in his efforts to get any spending measure up for debate recently.

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And therein lies the potential strategy for McCarthy.

It may look like defeat after defeat after defeat for McCarthy. And it is. But McCarthy has long-known where the solution to this impasse lies. The government may shut down. But the only path to keep the government open is a blend of Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate. In fact, an interim spending bill to avert a shutdown could likely clear the Senate with 65 to 70 votes. A similar bill would move through the House with anywhere between 275 to 300-plus votes. For reference, the House approved the bill to suspend the debt ceiling in May with 314 votes. 

But McCarthy can’t pivot just yet to something else. He has to let his own GOP members fight it out among themselves. That’s why he gave a wide berth to the more centrist Republican "Main Street" Caucus and Rep. Scott Perry, R-Penn., the head of the Freedom Caucus, to cut a deal on the interim spending bill over the weekend. But that plan appears dead.

Nothing can pass the House right now. And, ironically, that might be what McCarthy needs.

To wit: McCarthy keeps the House here to vote on rules to bring up various procedural matters or the bills themselves. In the process, McCarthy is building a canon of evidence to show that there are 200-plus Republicans willing to vote yes on something – and a crew of five to 20 who will oppose just about anything.

It’s often a bad idea on Capitol Hill to keep members in Washington over a weekend when there aren’t things to pass or items to vote on. Lawmakers grow cranky and insolent. They sometimes then lash out at leadership for marooning them in Washington with little to show for it. In the case of the Freedom Caucus members, leaders have sometimes wanted to separate them. So tethering lawmakers to Washington with little to do often backfires.

But here, McCarthy may actually want people in Washington. It helps members hash things out and conjure their own ideas to end the standoff. McCarthy has publicly said he prefers to defer to Members. But heretofore, that approach hasn’t worked. 

In addition, it’s about the math.

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In the sense that there are about 200 Republicans who fully support McCarthy and five to 20 who aren’t completely on board. There is strength in numbers. The stasis in the House will start to draw the ire of the larger group. They already feel that the most extreme voices in the GOP are dragging the majority around by the nose. So, one could see infighting between McCarthy loyalists and those who oppose him. 

So what happens if the spending measures fail in the coming days? McCarthy will have shown that he was willing to fight and "never give up," as he often says. But the Speaker warned rank-and-file Republicans for days that unless the House passes something, it will likely get jammed by the Senate.

Since McCarthy can’t get votes to caramelize around any proposal to avoid a shutdown, it’s possible the Senate could cobble together an interim spending bill. That involves a lot of parliamentary mechanics. In fact, it may already be too late for the Senate to assemble a stopgap bill and break two filibusters to avoid a shutdown on October 1. But things are definitely a lot better these days in the Senate than the House. 

If that’s the case, McCarthy can tell his members that he tried and the House weakened its position by never passing a bill of consequence in the spending fight. Therefore, the House must accept whatever the Senate comes up with. 

This inherently weakens McCarthy’s stance. We don’t know if a government shutdown is inevitable. But it’s a near certainty that Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., or someone else will call for a no confidence vote in McCarthy’s leadership.

This is known as a "motion to vacate the chair." And while I’ve seen a lot of Congressional "shows" over the years, this program has never appeared in my TV Guide.

A "motion to vacate" could happen at any time – although it’s more likely to unfold if and when the House adopts an interim spending bill. A "CR" (short for Continuing Resolution, because it renews all old funding at present levels) appears to be the red line for McCarthy’s opponents. 

Here’s what happens if we get a "motion to vacate."

All it takes is one Member to call for a "motion to vacate." However, that motion is subject to a SECONDARY motion. McCarthy defenders would probably move to table (set aside) or refer the PRIMARY motion to committee (probably House Rules or Administration). If the SECONDARY motion prevails, the effort to "vacate the chair" is euthanized. There’s no threat to McCarthy.

But if the House DEFEATS the SECONDARY motion, the House then votes on the PRIMARY motion (the motion to vacate). If the House okays the motion to vacate, hold on to your hats.

All legislative traffic on the House floor stops. We are essentially back to January 3, the beginning of the Congress. The House can’t do anything on the floor until it elects a Speaker. Remember that it took 15 rounds in January to pick a Speaker. That process consumed five days and was the longest Speaker’s election since 1859. A potential Speaker’s race at this stage could take longer.

Remember, the winning candidate must receive an outright majority of all Members of the House WHO VOTE. 

That said, the House is in a different situation than it was in January. The House has sworn-in its Members. It has committees. So other activity may continue. But NOTHING on the floor until it picks a Speaker.

Here is the doomsday scenario: 

The government shuts down and the House is forced into an election for Speaker. But then the House struggles to elect a Speaker – EVEN IF IT HAS THE VOTES TO RE-OPEN THE GOVERNMENT.

Sigh.

Keep in mind that if the government shutters, it deems certain workers as "essential." But things like national parks close. And workers who are on the job aren’t paid. In fact, Congress usually must approve a resolution to provide back-pay to federal workers if they miss a paycheck.

Border Patrol, the Transportation Security Agency and air traffic controllers are required to work – even if they aren’t paid. However, air safety was one of the reasons the government re-opened in 2019 after a 35-day government shutdown which began in late 2018. 

A small group of air traffic controllers decided to stay home – paralyzing travel at major air hubs like Philadelphia, Atlanta, Newark, N.J., and at New York’s La Guardia airport. 

That "sickout" compelled the Trump Administration to relent and re-open the government.

Most lawmakers from both parties now believe the government is cruising toward a shutdown. The question is what are the aftershocks on Capitol Hill and for the Speaker.