As Congressional Republicans turn against each other, trust in the Republican Party amongst its voters is quickly dwindling.
Over the past three weeks, House Republicans have been deliberating to find a new Speaker following the removal of Kevin McCarthy just nine months into his Speakership. The removal of McCarthy was led by Florida representative Matt Gaetz, a longtime ally of President Trump.
Gaetz, a downright deplorable man who has made deplorable comments about supporters of abortion rights and a sympathizer of Holocaust deniers, has failed as a Representative. This is not only because of his lack of action in office, with only two pieces of legislation being passed into law in his more than five years in office, but mainly because of the fact that he is leading the charge in dividing not only House Republicans but Americans across the country.
Not only this, but Mr. Gaetz was under investigation by the justice department for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and paying for her to cross state lines, meaning he was being investigated for sex trafficking. While this investigation was closed with no charges brought against him, he continues to be under investigation for illicit drug use, misuse of campaign funds and many allegations of sexual misconduct.
Gaetz, along with Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado, have formed a sub-party of Republican extremists to stand against more moderate Republicans, a term that I use lightly considering the state of the Republican Party following the Trump administration’s dramatic shift in ideology of Republicans. This sub-party was the sole reason for the ousting of Kevin McCarthy as they held him hostage, demanding a budget that they enjoyed, one that cut the annual budget of the United States in order to lessen the deficit. That being said, his critics, both Democrats and Republicans, have stated that they believe this is purely for his own personal and political gain, as there is speculation that he will run for governor in 2026.
Gaetz is not the only problematic Republican in the House, as our very own Jim Jordan of Ohio was one of the biggest names running for the speakership to replace McCarthy. Jordan has been labeled a “legislative terrorist” by his fellow Ohioan and former Speaker of the House John Boehner. A long time Trump ally, Jordan is one of the strongest conservative voices in the House, having voted against the Protect Infants from Formula Shortages Act of 2022, the Secure Background Checks Act of 2021, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021 among many, many other common sense bills. Jordan led three bids for the speakership, losing all three by 20, 22 and 25 votes respectively. Jordan finally gave up after his third loss and sent the House back to square one, with eight Republicans attempting for the gavel.
Finally, on Oct. 25, Mike Johnson of Louisiana’s 4th congressional district won the gavel in a 220-209 vote for the speakership. This was one of the most disappointing political moments I have witnessed in this country, with the House of Representatives acting as if they are children throwing a tantrum after not getting their way.
I rarely find myself agreeing with Chris Christie; however, he eloquently stated that it is “going to be very hard to make the case that the American people should turn over control of the government to Republicans when you can’t even elect a speaker.”
Democrats are not the only people in America who are upset about the state of Congress. Ann Coulter, a very prominent conservative commentator, was quoted saying “these Republicans are complete idiots,” showing tensions growing and trust in their party being lost by Republicans. Similarly, the Wall Street Journal, a newspaper that has become more and more conservative since Rupert Murdoch took over, said it best: “Never underestimate the ability of Republicans to commit electoral suicide.”
This turmoil in the Republican Party has Democrats hopeful in upcoming elections, especially in 2024 with the Republican presidential ticket being split between former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as the two frontrunners. I believe that this disaster is enough for many moderate Republicans to turn their backs on their party and vote Democrat or at the very least, vote third party, costing Republicans valuable votes that could cost them upcoming elections and in a perfect world, the House of Representatives which is currently held narrowly by Republicans, with a 221-212 majority.
While I am incredibly disappointed in the current state of the United States’ government, I am hopeful for the future. I am hopeful that Americans are beginning to realize how detrimental Republican extremism is to the country and that these politicians must be voted out of office and replaced with leaders who truly care about the people that they represent and will fulfill their duties as congresspeople.
Jackson Small is an opinion writer. Contact him at [email protected].
