On October 3, 2023, for the first time in American history, a House Speaker was stripped of their gavel and ousted. The move to oust former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (CA-20) began when he relied on bipartisan efforts with the Democratic Party to avoid the threat of a government shutdown. However, this act further increased resentment from the far right, led by Representative Matt Gaetz (FL-01). Gaetz opted for a motion to vacate— a vote to oust the Speaker of the House. 

Before Kevin McCarthy assumed the title of Speaker in January of 2023, he endured a grueling fifteen rounds of voting. Despite Republicans controlling the House, far-right members of his party were not willing to vote for him, and thus he could not receive the majority needed to become Speaker. Eventually, McCarthy was able to sway the far right in exchange for a myriad of concessions, including making it so that it only took one member to call for a motion to vacate. Far-right members wanted this motion in order to check McCarthy’s power. In Caesarian style, Gaetz utilized this motion alongside seven other Republicans and 208 Democrats in a majority vote and succeeded in ousting McCarthy from the title of House Speaker.

After McCarthy was voted out, Representative Patrick McHenry (NC-10) became acting Speaker. However, a permanent Speaker had to be elected, and McCarthy announced that he wouldn’t run for Speaker again. Before there was an election on the House floor, Republicans internally elected who they would support for the speakership. Steven Scalise (LA-01) emerged victorious, yet conceded before a House-wide vote that would determine the new Speaker. In the second round, Jim Jordan (OH-04) won the Republican nomination, but many members of the Republican party refused to vote for him during the House-wide vote, which ultimately ended his candidacy for the Speaker. In the third round, Tom Emmer (MN-06) won the Republican nomination, yet dropped out of the race like Scalise. In the fourth round, however, Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04), who lost an initial bid for candidacy to Emmer in the third round, won the Republican nomination. By attracting both the moderate and far-right members of the Republican party, Johnson succeeded with winning the House-wide majority and became the next Speaker of the House of Representatives. His victory puzzled many, as Johnson didn’t hold a significant leadership position in the House of Representatives, let alone his own party.

Although unknown by much of the American public, Speaker Mike Johnson is infamous  for his creative but controversial opinions, ideas, and theories. Speaker Johnson represents the 4th Congressional District of Louisiana, which covers the vast majority of Western Louisiana and is considered to be on the far-right spectrum of the House of Representatives. Johnson’s promotion of the 2020 election denial and support for former US President Donald Trump are among the most notable of his actions. Johnson’s support for Trump led him to aim to keep the former president in power despite losing the 2020 election to current President Joe Biden, citing unproved fraud irregularities in the election. He has also received criticism for other controversial beliefs and is a conservative Christian, believing that all his views on politics and the world come from the Bible, which has concerned many Americans about his inability to separate Church from State. 

Johnson’s lack of experience and notoriety were some of the key factors that helped him win the speakership. As stated by politics professor Matthew Green in Time Magazine, “It's almost like picking a Supreme Court Justice who has never written any prior decisions. We just don't know what he’s going to be like... because every member and every faction can sort of look at him and see something they like." Johnson has already made headway as Speaker by avoiding the threat of shutdown in November. His bipartisan bill, which was passed days before the shutdown deadline, included a continuing resolution which allows for the government to be funded on 2023 levels. Due to the bill not including provisions funding Ukraine and Israel, it was widely opposed by Republican members, causing Johnson to depend on his Democratic colleagues.

There is no doubt that the recent and ongoing news surrounding the House Speaker has created a whirlwind of confusion, anticipation, and excitement within American politics. With former House Speaker McCarthy removed and Mike Johnson receiving the spotlight alongside a considerable amount of skepticism, the nation is on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happens next. “Give me a chance. Let me have a chance to lead here, and you will see what I’m really about,” says Johnson.