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Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

McCarthy’s ousting was ironic and deserved

Former+House+Speaker+Kevin+McCarthy+talks+to+reporters+Tuesday+at+the+Capitol+in+Washington%2C+D.C.+Opinion+Columnist+Lexi+Nebel+believes+McCarthy+should+never+have+been+appointed+as+Speaker+of+the+House.+%28AP+Photo%2FJ.+Scott+Applewhite%29
J. Scott Applewhite
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy talks to reporters Tuesday at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Opinion Columnist Lexi Nebel believes McCarthy should never have been appointed as Speaker of the House. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Speaker of the House is arguably one of the most important roles played in the U.S. government, so how Kevin McCarthy – the most unfit person for this job – got the position is baffling. 

Within the past decade, social media has driven extreme polarization between Democrats and Republicans, causing America to become more divided than ever before. 

The most recent example of this division came Oct. 3, when McCarthy was officially ousted from his position as House speaker with a vote of 216 to 210. 

Ironically, in the midst of his race to become speaker, McCarthy agreed to a condition that made it possible for a single member to motion to oust the speaker, according to the House of Representatives Committee on Rules. This decision was made as an attempt to win over far-right voters, a decision that would inevitably come back to haunt him.

McCarthy has had a long-standing feud with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-F.L.), after a House Ethics Committee investigation was opened against Gaetz in 2021, an investigation that Gaetz blames fully on the former speaker. 

McCarthy agreed to a condition that makes it possible for his sworn enemy, Gaetz, to oust him simply because he is an idiot. 

McCarthy held one of the most powerful positions in the U.S. government, yet had no backbone and would do anything to please the House in order to keep his job. 

The decision to oust McCarthy was the first time in U.S. history that a speaker was removed through a “motion to vacate” vote, and this comes as no surprise, considering the former speaker’s complete incompetence as a leader. 

Hours before the government was set to shut down, Gaetz accused McCarthy just a day earlier of allegedly making a “secret side deal” with President Biden to get a funding bill passed for Ukraine aid in order, according to CBS News. 

If the accusation is true, McCarthy’s decision to pass this bill actually benefited the U.S. government as a whole.

If the government had shut down, millions of federal employees would have been left without a paycheck until it reopened.

Although this decision was arguably a good one, it does not forgive all of the former speaker’s previous poor decisions. 

To start, McCarthy was the one to direct an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, one that held no merit whatsoever. 

I’m sure most voters would rather have McCarthy focused on funding the federal government rather than direct a pointless impeachment inquiry, but if the House cries for Biden to be impeached, McCarthy will bend over backwards to please them. 

House Republicans have been investigating Biden for nine months, yet have turned up no evidence of wrongdoing, according to AP News.

McCarthy also gave former Fox News’ Tucker Carlson exclusive access to security footage from the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack, despite initially denouncing the attack, according to ABC News.  

Carlson then aired the surveillance footage and cherry-picked the videos in order to minimize the rioting as a peaceful gathering. 

McCarthy was an incompetent and weak leader, one that had no business holding such a powerful role in the U.S. government. 

Despite rumors that some Democrats might cut a deal with McCarthy and save him, he ultimately failed to offer the opposing party any accommodations.

McCarthy put on a fake smile and charm for his 269 days as speaker, yet it wasn’t enough to hide his unmatched stupidity. 

The former speaker desperately attempted to appease his party, yet inevitably turned both parties against him in the end. It’s clear that McCarthy will do whatever it takes to advance his political career, even if that means going against his own political philosophies.

 

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