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'Pretty solid smack': Internet blown away by interim Speaker Patrick McHenry's 'angry' gavel slam after McCarthy's ouster

One of the first things that McHenry has done as the Interim Speaker is to evict Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi from her honorary office at the Capitol

WASHINGTON, D.C: The interim Speaker of the House after the removal of Kevin McCarthy, Representative of California, Rep Patrick McHenry of North Carolina became an internet sensation overnight with an angry slam of the gavel on Tuesday, October 3.

McHenry, a friend and ally of McCarthy, was chosen as the interim Speaker of the House after McCarthy was ousted from the Speaker position for the first time in US history.

Eight Republicans, led by GOP Rep Matt Gaetz, joined the Democrats to facilitate the former Speaker’s termination from the post he had held.

The GOP representative McHenry became an Internet sensation after he read from a paper that it would be “prudent” to recess the House and they can meet later “to discuss the path forward.”

The short speech was followed by a pronounced slam of the gavel, per The Associated Press.

Who is Rep Patrick McHenry?

After McCarthy’s ousting, Rep Patrick McHenry of North Carolina was chosen as the interim Speaker from the list of representatives.

This marks the 48-year-old McHenry’s most prominent public role following his 10 terms in the House.

He will be working as the Speaker until a new speaker is voted into power. 

The Charlotte native is an alumnus of the North Carolina State University. He ran unsuccessfully for a state House seat in 1998 when he was in college, per The Associated Press.

Ultimately, he won the election in 1998 when he was just 27 years old. He has also worked for a Washington-based media consulting firm.

McHenry was a part of George W Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign, and worked as a special assistant to the US Secretary of Labor.

One of the first things that McHenry has done as the interim Speaker is to evict Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi from her honorary office at the Capitol.

Pelosi, who was in California to pay tribute to the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, said it was “a sharp departure from tradition.” 

She added further, “Office space doesn’t matter to me, but it seems to be important to them. Now that the new Republican Leadership has settled this important matter, let’s hope they get to work on what’s truly important for the American people.”

'It's a pretty solid smack'

No sooner had the historic (and angry) gavel slamming gone viral than the netizens made it the talk of the Internet.

One of the users said emphatically, "Bro was trying to hit the center of the Earth with that swing."

Another user analogized, "This is the equivalent of making one final heated point when arguing with your SO and then slamming the door as you run away outside as quickly as your legs can carry."

Someone else prophesied, "Historians 100 years from now will write entire essays on why that gavel slam was so angry."

"It's a pretty solid smack," said social media user.

Another netizen remarked, "He totally missed the sound block and smashed the desk."

"What did the gavel do to him??" asked another netizen.