The coup was orchestrated and led by one of Capitol Hill’s least popular figures, Matt Gaetz of Florida, after McCarthy worked with Democrats to pass a last-ditch effort to prevent a federal shutdown.

After his ouster, McCarthy told colleagues he would not seek the speakership when a new vote is called, bringing an end to his brief but tumultuous rise. It also leaves California with diminished influence in Congress.

Hello, my name is Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu. I cover national politics for the L.A. Times. Today we look at how one of Congress’ most hated members overthrew the speaker of the House.

Gaetz blames McCarthy for the ethics investigations he faces

Since coming to Congress in 2017, Gaetz has made many enemies including within his own party. He is currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for a range of issues including from sex trafficking and misusing campaign funds. The Justice Department decided against charging him for sex trafficking but the House probe (which first began under Speaker Pelosi) has continued.

Gaetz says that overthrowing McCarthy is about the politics and not some personal vendetta. But he also said this: “I believe Speaker McCarthy is trying to signal to the ethics committee to pursue me.”

(McCarthy has previously denied directing the ethics committee’s business.)

Publicity stunts have made Gaetz unpopular

Gaetz, a die-hard Trump ally, is seen by many in his party as a disruptor with a penchant for publicity stunts for the sake of TV attention. He led a group of allies to disrupt a closed-door hearing during Trump’s first impeachment and tried to make the Pledge of Allegiance mandatory at the start of congressional hearings.

In an op-ed published on Tuesday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich described Gaetz as “childish” and called for him to be expelled from the Republican ranks. Another Republican colleague Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), described Gaetz as a “petulant child.”

As his motion to remove McCarthy was about to be put to a vote, Gaetz was thrust firmly in that national spotlight excoriating his own colleagues on the House floor while fending off accusations he was throwing the house into disarray. “Chaos is Speaker McCarthy,” he said. “Kevin McCarthy said something to all of us at one point or another that he didn’t really mean and never intended to live up to. I don’t think voting against Kevin McCarthy is chaos.”

Gaetz got a few conservatives to follow him anyway

Gaetz only needed a handful of votes to oust McCarthy. Yesterday, seven joined him in voting to vacate (along with every Democrat who voted). That the pariah from his own party could successfully commandeer a rebellion to oust him says volumes about McCarthy’s weak hold on the gavel. It took him 15 humiliating votes to become speaker in the first place.

To win it, he allowed that a single member could call for a vote to vacate. In the end, Gaetz was only using the tools he and other far-right Republicans had won in that battle.

The latest from the campaign trail

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Doyle McManus: Biden and Trump want working-class votes. The economy may decide who gets them. Last week, President Biden and former President Trump hustled out to Michigan, where the United Auto Workers have gone on strike. Their appearances reflected a larger battle for voters without a college education, who make up 60% of the electorate.

The view from Washington

News Analysis: McCarthy’s once formidable powers of persuasion couldn’t stop a humiliating, historic defeat. The ousted speaker had relied on his skills of working with factions and placating the GOP’s radical flank. But “his strengths ended up undoing him.”

Goldberg: In the Matt Gaetz vs. Kevin McCarthy battle, the GOP’s stupidity and hypocrisy are showing. Labeling Matt Gaetz and the rest of the dysfunctional House rebels is difficult. Given their radical bent and ideological inconstancy, you can’t call them conservatives.

Kevin McCarthy’s ouster throws Washington into chaos. Hard-line Republicans joined with Democrats to remove the Bakersfield Republican from the speaker’s chair.

Laphonza Butler sworn in as California’s newest U.S. senator. Butler becomes the first out gay person of color to serve in the Senate, and the first out LGBTQ+ person to represent California in the chamber.

Sen. Feinstein’s decline and death renew discussion about term limits. A Pew survey finds “overwhelming” public support for congressional term limits, with 87% saying they are in favor.

An unexpected check on Supreme Court’s sharp move right: Justice Kavanaugh. The Supreme Court’s real battles these days are among the conservatives, and Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh is playing an increasingly critical role.

The view from California

News Analysis: California knows earthquakes. This week, a temblor reshaped the state’s politics. For years, the top level of California politics seemed frozen, with entrenched leaders in both parties. In one week, the last vestiges of that order are upended.

California’s incoming senator, Laphonza Butler, describes her whirlwind trip into history. In an exclusive interview with the L.A. Times, Butler said she wants to carry the baton of Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Newsom vetoes bill to give striking workers unemployment benefits. Newsom’s rejection of Senate Bill 799 delivers a rare blow to organized labor, which has enjoyed strong support in the Democratic-controlled state Legislature.

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