During the speakership election for the 118th Congress, McCarthy faced significant opposition within the Republican Conference from the Freedom Caucus, who saw him as untrustworthy and insufficiently conservative.

After fifteen rounds of voting, McCarthy was elected speaker, conceding to his opponents by allowing any representative to file a motion to vacate.

McCarthy nevertheless led the House of Representatives in passing a continuing resolution on September 30; its passage was reliant on bipartisan support, but more Democrats than Republicans voted in favor.

In response, Republicans, led by Gaetz, balked and blocked consideration of a bill protecting gas stoves against federal regulations.

[6] The mutiny left McCarthy with a political quagmire to either acquiesce to the insurgents, passing legislation that would face resistance in the Democratic-controlled Senate, or to negotiate with House Democrats, contending with a potential ousting.

[9] On September 29, Politico reported that Gaetz had reached out to Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Pramila Jayapal, among other Democrats, about removing McCarthy.

[15] Resolved, That the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives is hereby declared to be vacant.On October 2, Gaetz filed a motion to vacate, forcing a vote on McCarthy's removal within two legislative days.

[17] Politico's Ryan Lizza speculated that if McCarthy had retained his position, Gaetz might have simply proposed additional motions to vacate, as there is no limit on the number of times a member can do so.

[21] Tom Cole, chairman of the Republican-led House Rules Committee, unsuccessfully attempted to remove the matter from consideration by introducing a motion to table, which was however rejected by a vote of 218—208.

Republicans Biggs, Ken Buck, Tim Burchett, Eli Crane, Warren Davidson, Gaetz, Bob Good, Nancy Mace, Cory Mills, Matt Rosendale, and Victoria Spartz voted no.

Burchett said his yes vote was "sealed" after McCarthy allegedly made a "condescending" remark about his religious beliefs during a phone call.

North Carolina Representative McHenry, a described close ally of McCarthy, was appointed as his temporary replacement as speaker pro tempore of the House.

[35] The House's legislative activities were temporarily halted as speaker pro tempore McHenry began an eight-day recess.

Maryland Representative Steny Hoyer, former house majority leader, also received a notice from Republican leadership to move out of his Capitol office space.

[42] Less than a week after McCarthy's ouster, Israel — one of the United States' closest allies — was attacked by the militant group Hamas, which began the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.

McCarthy's ouster and the subsequent leadership debacle have been cited as the main reasons behind a failure for an aid package to be passed in support of Israel.

[53] On November 14, Speaker Mike Johnson ushered the passage of a stop-gap spending bill to avert a government shutdown in a 336–96 vote.

However, after two minibus spending bills passed in March 2024, Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she would file a motion to oust Johnson.

The motion was immediately met with a successful vote to table by Steve Scalise supported by a bipartisan legislative coalition.

[31] He later left Congress at the end of 2023, but continued to influence the political sphere with his renowned fundraising network; specifically, recruiting and funding challengers to the eight Representatives who ousted him.

[65] Adolfo Franco, a lawyer and Republican Party strategist, speaking from Florida, told Al Jazeera that it was a "five-seat majority in a divided government" that removed McCarthy.

[67][68] The letter said the representatives were "ashamed and embarrassed by what happened", and praised McCarthy's performance as "one of the most accomplished Republican leaders in modern history".

[71] Political observers have noted a historical parallel between the turmoil engulfing the House Republican Conference surrounding McCarthy's removal and the events following the resignation of Newt Gingrich precipitated by an internal caucus rebellion in the wake of the 1998 elections.