GOP in disarray as 'infighting and instability' plague Republicans in DC: report

Fissures with the Republican Party were magnified on Tuesday as Donald Trump scheduled a major announcement in the aftermath of the 2022 midterms.

"Republicans in both chambers of Congress mounted challenges to their leaders on Tuesday as disappointment over their lackluster performance in the midterm elections manifested in infighting and instability in the Capitol," The Washington Postreported. "House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) won his party’s nomination for speaker Tuesday afternoon with 188 votes from the GOP caucus — well past the simple majority needed for victory. But 31 lawmakers voted for a challenger, presenting a steep obstacle for McCarthy come January, when he will need 218 votes to win the speakership when the 118th Congress convenes."

McCarthy is being challenged by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) announced McCarthy did not have the votes.

"And in the Senate, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FA) announced he would challenge Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) during an hours-long airing of grievances among party members frustrated over their failure to win back the chamber," the newspaper reported. "The discord came just hours before Donald Trump was expected to announce his presidential reelection bid from Florida, injecting another note of turmoil on the Hill between those who remain staunch allies of the former president and others who are beginning to publicly question whether Trump contributed to the party’s stunning failure to win more seats last week."

Democrats are excited to see Trump attempt a comeback.

One centrist Republican worried about the concessions McCarthy might make to the far-right House Freedom Caucus.

“He’s going to have to make a deal with the devil, and if he does, he’s also going to have to contend with the centrists and growing number of moderates in the conference,” the GOP lawmaker said. “We’re usually the first to fold but we won’t this time. It’s too important for the future and longevity of our party.”

Read the full report.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: A ‘funeral oration’: Noted presidential historian slams Trump's ‘sad and listless’ announcement