Freedom Caucus in 'identity crisis' as rival far-right group competes for its spot: report

The far-right Freedom Caucus, long the premier disruption wing of the GOP in the House, is facing an "identity crisis" — and the rise of a rival group that seeks to claim its mantle, The New York Timesreported on Tuesday.

All of this comes amid previous reports of turmoil within the group, including the ouster of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) for her feud with Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and her closeness to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

"As the Republican Party has moved further to the right, the fringe has become the mainstream, swelling the ranks of the Freedom Caucus but making it difficult for the group to stay aligned on policy and strategy," reported Annie Karni, Robert Draper, and Luke Broadwater. To further complicate matters, "The rise of another hard-right faction in the House calling itself “the Twenty” — including some members of the caucus and some who have long refused to join — has raised questions in recent months about where the real power lies on the far right."

"The Twenty," which consists of members including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), is "a group of 20 populist members that has in recent months become the more disruptive threat to Mr. McCarthy’s control of the House," and due to its smaller size, considers itself more efficient and better able to wage fights against the establishment.

Part of the split is fallout over the debt ceiling negotiations earlier this year, which enraged far-right lawmakers after McCarthy accepted minimal concessions from Biden in order to prevent an economic catastrophe. At the time, some members even threatened to try to force a confidence vote against McCarthy, but this has not happened.

All of this could play a critical role in budget talks coming up. House Republicans forced a number of right-wing priorities into the defense bill, including anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion provisions, but these have virtually no chance of passing the Senate, setting up a conference debate and a potential showdown.