LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two months after his historic ouster as House speaker, Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy announced Wednesday that he is resigning from his congressional seat in California.
His announcement capped a stunning end for the one-time deli owner from Bakersfield, who ascended through state and national politics to become second in line to the presidency before a contingent of hard-right conservatives engineered his removal in October.
McCarthy is the only speaker in history to be voted out of the job.
It had taken McCarthy 15 rounds in January over multiple days of voting before he secured the support from his colleagues to gain the gavel.
Donald Trump, the former president who is the Republican front-runner in the 2024 race to challenge President Joe Biden, had complained about the chaos. “Why is it that Republicans are always fighting among themselves,” he asked on social media.
