It’s official. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted from his position as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The development has sent shockwaves through America’s political landscape, with members of the chattering class buzzing on social media to make their opinions on the matter known.

After an hour of speeches and a roll call vote Tuesday afternoon, Rep. Matt Gaetz's Motion to Vacate the chair succeeded, 216-210, removing California Rep. Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House. Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) was immediately named Speaker Pro Tem.

Today's vote was historic, marking the first time in American history such a motion has succeeded.

McHenry's first act was to gavel the House into recess, apparently at the urging of McCarthy's staff.

In the conservative space, views on McCarthy’s ouster have been varied, with some supporting the effort, which was led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). On the other hand, many on the right have opposed the move and are criticizing Gaetz for working with Democrats to accomplish this feat.

RedState spoke with multiple conservative influencers to get their thoughts on the matter.

Activist and former New Hampshire gubernatorial candidate Julian Acciard opined that McCarthy “made the moves he did under the assumption that no action would be taken” because “no action is ever taken against speakers who break their word.”

Acciard noted that “there is a growing number of Republicans who are willing to burn it down in order to bring some level of accountability to leadership within the party.”

He continued:

The sad part is that because of the media narrative and that of most congressmen, McCarthy will receive very little blame or expectation to take responsibility for his part in this debacle. All the blame will be rested on Matt Gaetz. It never should have gotten to this point as the expectations for Speaker McCarthy were very clear from the start. The line was drawn in the sand after multiple betrayals of the agreement that put him there.

Political commentator Sonnie Johnson, host of “Sonnie’s Corner” on Sirius XM Patriot, made similar points, noting that the “Republican base has been telling the party to cut spending since the Tea Party.”

She added:

Republicans have promised, on their sacred honor, to follow constituents’ demands. They go back on their word EVERY TIME. They push the spending votes to a deadline and cram everything into an omnibus, then turn around and guilt/shame the base into capitulation because "Democrats bad.” They have helped finance EVERY disastrous policy Dems use to inflict economic hardship on the American people. They need to be held accountable and it needs to start NOW.

In pursuing McCarthy’s removal, Gaetz worked behind the scenes with Democratic lawmakers to obtain support for his initiative. But, as RedState Managing Editor Jennifer Van Laar noted, “As of Tuesday morning it wasn’t clear whether Democrats would vote as a block or not on that motion to table.”

On the other hand, some prominent conservatives argued that, despite his flaws, removing McCarthy was the wrong move. Conservative journalist Carmine Sabia explained that he understood “why there is a desire among some Republicans to remove Speaker McCarthy,” but pointed out that “the votes are not there to elect a new speaker, nor is there a candidate and at the end of the day. [McCarthy] is the only one right now that can reach the votes to become speaker again, which is the likely outcome here.”

Sabia then took aim at Gaetz, noting that the lawmaker “is sending fundraising emails and getting in front of every television camera he can to boost his profile” because “what he really wants is to be a television star.”

“When this is all said and done, the only thing that Gaetz will have accomplished is giving Democrats fodder for 2024 ads and making Republicans look like they cannot govern,” Sabia concluded.

Journalist and founder of the Humanity Assemble Foundation Christy Kelly told RedState that “our government is broken” and “the Republican party is fractured, maybe beyond repair.”

Kelly said that the former speaker’s “sole aim was the Speaker’s gavel” and that “he made promises he couldn’t keep.”

She added: 

His failure was inevitable. Widespread enthusiasm for McCarthy was never there. This is a pivotal moment for our nation. Republicans should have stuck with McCarthy and forced him to step up. Instead, we are looking at another chaotic speaker contest at a crucial juncture. Republicans are weakened.

Political strategist Shermichael Singleton had harsh words for the ousting of McCarthy, arguing that this saga will cause Republicans to lose control of the House:

House Republicans have a slim majority and these antics put the entire majority at risk because of ten people. There are 18 House Republicans in districts that flipped to Biden in 2020—and some of them will have tough races, but Gaetz and others aren’t focused on those things. So if we lose the House, we know who to blame.

Author and political commentator Demetrius Minor echoed Singleton’s concerns, slamming Republican leadership for continuing “to display dysfunction at a high level.”

McCarthy, who had to make some inconceivable demands to begin with just to receive the Speaker’s gavel, is now at the epicenter of the GOP’s disunity and unnecessary tension.

In an economy that features inflation, high gas and food prices, you would think that the GOP would be focused on the American people and not themselves.

This doesn’t bode well for the upcoming elections.

Now that the motion to vacate has been approved, the next step will be holding a vote for a new speaker, a process which is sure to be fraught with even more political drama.

The ousting of former Speaker McCarthy could underscore a serious moment of reckoning within the GOP. It highlights deep divisions between the moderate and conservative factions of the party, and the nation will be scrutinizing its next moves closely.

The question is: will the GOP pivot towards a more radical stance, embracing the “burn it down” ethos to promote accountability, or will they choose the more pragmatic and measured approach to steer the party through the upcoming elections? The answer will have sweeping implications for the future of the party and possibly the nation.