LogFAQs > #970614721

A big part of this is that the Trumplicans have a lot more power than they normally would have in a house majority due to the thin majority the republicans have. In an ironic sense, Trumplicans major losses in the house, making it where there's a thin majority in the first place, have given the survivors a lot more negotiating power for what they want from the mainstream republicans.

What better way to show that power than to completely hold a Speaker election hostage? McCarthy now either has to completely become a puppet Speaker, or step aside for someone the Trumplicans will feel represented by (which will further restrict the Republicans from moving away from the Trumplicans in the long-run).

In the end, people asking if this is about McCarthy, it's not really about McCarthy. This sends a message to the entire Republican group of representatives that there's a sizable chunk that can block things if necessary to achieve their goals.