Title: Political Power and Betrayal: The Fate of Kevin McCarthy

In the realm of politics, the themes of betrayal and power struggle have always remained timeless. An exclusive revelation by The Wall Street Journal sheds light on a story filled with political intricacies, one that revolves around the former House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's journey to power and how he ultimately found himself mired in the quagmire of betrayal.

A scene from two years ago still lingers vividly in McCarthy's memory: a moment when he surrendered to Donald Trump at the private club, Mar-a-Lago. Trump affectionately called her "my Kay." At that time, McCarthy genuinely believed that Trump had forgiven him for his betrayal. However, what followed were fifteen rounds of voting in the House Speaker election, accompanied by unending dismissals, leaving him despondent. The price of betrayal, though delayed, proved to be inevitable.

On January 6, 2021, more than 2,000 people, incited by Trump's call, stormed the Capitol Hill, forcibly interrupting Congress's vote count for the 2020 U.S. presidential election. This temporarily halted the joint session of Congress from officially announcing Biden's victory. The riot resulted in five deaths and over 140 injuries. Seizing this opportunity, the Democratic Party swiftly moved to impeach Trump, even though he was still in office.

As the storm gathered around him, then-House Republican Leader McCarthy believed that Trump had lost his value after the election defeat. He quickly distanced himself from Trump, as the Republican establishment, led by figures like Liz Cheney, united in condemning Trump and aligning with the Democratic Party's impeachment efforts. Liz Cheney, the third-ranking Republican chairwoman at the time and the highest-ranking female politician in Republican Party history, came from a political dynasty, viewing political newcomer Trump with disdain.

McCarthy initially thought that after the Capitol Hill riot, the establishment would once again become the dominant theme in the Republican Party. However, he soon realized that he was mistaken, as Trump garnered significant support within the party. In internal elections, Republicans defeated their opponents one after another, effectively turning the GOP into Trump's party. McCarthy's betrayal of Trump drew outrage from fellow lawmakers within his party. His credentials within the Republican Party became exceedingly difficult to uphold, and the fear of dismissal permeated every corner of McCarthy's being.

In a desperate attempt to salvage his standing, McCarthy rushed to Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion to apologize for his prior actions. On January 28, a photo emerged showing Trump and McCarthy at Mar-a-Lago, seemingly indicating a restoration of trust. However, the crisis was far from over. The New York Times exposed that McCarthy had convened top Republicans in an effort to pressure Trump into resigning after the Capitol Hill riots. McCarthy vehemently denied this. Consequently, on April 21, The New York Times released a recording of a conversation that took place on January 8, where McCarthy could be clearly heard saying, "I've had enough of him."

In the recording, McCarthy consulted with other top Republicans on the mechanism of the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in an attempt to remove Trump. He planned to call Trump and persuade him to resign. The day after The New York Times exposed the recording, Trump was interviewed by The Wall Street Journal at Mar-a-Lago. He stated that McCarthy ultimately did not convince him to resign and that their relationship remained strong. However, McCarthy was aware that substantial actions were needed to truly regain Trump's trust.

On May 12, 2021, under McCarthy's leadership, the Republican Party voted to remove Liz Cheney from her position as chairwoman. Cheney, the third-ranking Republican figure, was seen as McCarthy's gesture of surrender to Trump. Evidently, Trump was highly satisfied with McCarthy's display of loyalty, as was the Republican Party.

However, McCarthy's actions had enraged the Freedom Caucus, a group within the Republican Party, posing a threat to his power. Fast forward to January 7, 2023, the election for the Speaker of the 118th House of Representatives of the United States had entered its fifth day. The 15th round of voting had broken the record set in 1923, becoming the longest-lasting election in the 164 years since the American Civil War. The protracted Speaker election turmoil stemmed from the political divisions within the Republican Party.

The root of McCarthy's predicament lay in an internal Republican organization known as the Freedom Caucus, which originated from the Tea Party movement in 2010 and staunchly opposed the establishment. The divide between the Freedom Caucus and the establishment led to the resignation of then-House Speaker John Boehner. In December 2022, five members of the 50-member Freedom Caucus formed a coalition determined not to support McCarthy, with most of them being staunch Trump supporters. By the time of the Speaker election, the opposition within the Republican Party had grown.

In the eyes of these conservative Republican congressmen who opposed McCarthy, he represented the establishment's position and was seen as prone to compromising with the Democratic Party. McCarthy's quest to become Speaker of the House required him to secure 218 votes out of 435 total House seats. With 212 Democratic seats and 222 Republican seats, he couldn't afford more than four opposition votes from within his own party.

However, in the 11 rounds of voting, McCarthy consistently fell short, receiving just over 200 votes while the entire Democratic Party's 212 votes went to him. Matt Gaetz, the second-ranking figure in the Freedom Caucus, even voted for Trump during the 11th round, leading to Trump positioning himself as Speaker of the House. McCarthy had learned a harsh lesson as Gaetz wasted votes, revealing that the consequences of his earlier betrayal were far from over.

Despite Trump's public support for McCarthy's Speakership, his die-hard supporters were actively sabotaging the election. In the 14th round of voting, McCarthy lost by just one vote. Broken-hearted, he approached Congressman Matt Gaetz, fearing that the confrontation could escalate to violence. The situation was quickly defused as others intervened.

Prior to the 15th round of voting, Matt Gaetz approached McCarthy and presented him with highly unequal conditions for securing Gaetz's support. This included the ability to initiate a recall if even one person opposed, granting key positions in the House to members of the Freedom Caucus, such as Gaetz becoming the Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee. McCarthy accepted these terms, realizing that securing the Speakership was futile without Trump supporters.

Thus, the 15th round of voting commenced. Representative Marjorie suddenly held up her mobile phone, a call from "DT" flashing on the caller ID. It left no doubt that Donald Trump was on the other end of the line. At Trump's behest, six members of the Freedom Caucus changed their votes from opposition to support. With six abstentions and one Democratic member's absence, the total votes dropped from 435 to 420. McCarthy only needed 215 votes to be elected Speaker. In the end, the 57-year-old McCarthy received 216 votes, securing the Speaker of the House of Representatives position, making him the third most powerful figure in American politics and second in line for the presidency.

However, McCarthy's position as Speaker was not without its challenges. Only one dissenting vote was needed to initiate a recall. The compromise appeared to hang like a sword of Damocles over McCarthy's head.