Seth Meyers fans say Kevin McCarthy 'beginning to look impressive now' as Tom Emmer drops bid for Speaker
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In a surprising turn of events, Rep Tom Emmer of Minnesota withdrew his bid for Speaker of the House of Representatives just hours after securing the Republican nomination.
This abrupt about-face comes in the wake of opposition from former President Donald Trump and numerous Republican lawmakers, leaving the House leadership crisis in its third week with no clear resolution in sight.
Seth Meyers mocks House in disarray as Tom Emmer drops speaker bid
While the House grapples with this political conundrum, Seth Meyers, host of 'Late Night with Seth Meyers,' couldn't resist a touch of humor in his commentary.
He referenced the ongoing turmoil in jest, stating, "Republicans have nominated Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer for Speaker of the House, but it remains to be seen whether Emmer can get past these 'effers,'" while the screen showed mugshots of MAGA diehards Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan and Lauren Boebert, eliciting laughter from his audience.
Emmer, the Republican majority whip, was the third GOP nominee for Speaker whose candidacy faltered in recent weeks. Before him, Rep Jim Jordan of Ohio and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana had also dropped out due to their inability to secure sufficient Republican support.
House paralyzed as leadership crisis deepens
This extended leadership crisis has left the lower chamber paralyzed, unable to pass critical spending legislation as the clock ticks toward a looming government shutdown on November 17. Furthermore, Congress has been unable to respond to President Joe Biden's call for emergency security assistance to both Israel and Ukraine, a situation that adds to the growing sense of urgency.
In the aftermath of Emmer's decision to drop out, Trump took credit for the outcome, stating, "I absolutely must have had an impact." He recounted his history with Emmer, highlighting their differences and noting that Emmer did not align with the MAGA (Make America Great Again) ideology that many Republicans espouse.
Emmer's political stance, relatively moderate compared to many other Republican lawmakers, included voting to certify President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory and supporting spending legislation in September to avert a government shutdown.
The House leadership crisis was ignited when a faction of eight Republicans, led by Rep Matt Gaetz of Florida, unseated then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy in an unprecedented no-confidence vote. Democrats, meanwhile, refused to step in to salvage McCarthy's speakership, ultimately leading to his downfall.
In a scenario that keeps getting more complex and unpredictable, the race for Speaker of the House continues to captivate political observers and late-night viewers alike. The question now is who will rise to the occasion and fill the Speaker's role
Seth Meyers' show viewers reacted as Tom Emmer drops bid for Speaker
As the House leadership crisis deepens and Tom Emmer's brief bid for Speaker of the House comes to an end, viewers of Seth Meyers' show couldn't help but react to the ongoing political drama.
"It's beginning to look impressive that Kevin McCarthy made it onto 15 ballots for Speaker. The GOP has had 3 nominees for Speaker in 3 weeks. Tom Emmer's bid lasted all of 4 hours before he withdrew his name," wrote one
Another commented, "It's like watching a train wreck full of clowns. A tragedy for the country but I can't stop laughing."
Commented one, "These pinheads can't elect a Speaker and people are supposed to trust them to nominate a candidate to be President?!!!."
"At this point, I'm surprised the Republicans haven't written their name on a piece of paper, collected them, mix them all in a hat, and went with whatever name is picked," replied another.
"At this point, every member of house republicans will get nominated for speaker at least once before one is actually elected, if at all," wrote another.
"The fact that they need someone to tell them to stay until they pick a speaker is just fascinating. Especially considering the ramifications of the lack of a speaker continuing on," commented another.