Another chapter in "eating their own"

House minority leader and California Republican [Kevin McCarthy] is facing a barrage of criticism from far-right lawmakers skeptical of his conservative credentials and loyalty to former President Trump.

[...]

Meanwhile, Democrats are accusing McCarthy of being spineless, showing a blind fealty to Trump and posing a threat to democracy.

[...]

The House Republican Conference that McCarthy is hoping to lead in 2023 has only gotten more extreme and more divided since he first joined his party’s top leadership ranks as majority whip a decade ago. And the far-right flank remains a difficult constituency to satisfy, as it was in 2015 when it thwarted McCarthy’s last attempt to win the Speaker’s gavel.

[...]

“It’s a tough position. This isn’t about herding cats. Everybody is a Type-A personality to get here, so it’s like herding ravenous lions,” said Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), explaining McCarthy’s challenge.

[...]

On Tuesday, [Marjorie Taylor] Greene tweeted that [Nancy] Mace, who represents a swing district, was “the trash in the GOP conference.” The cause of her ire? Mace’s condemnation of Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-Colo.) Islamophobic comments suggesting that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who is Muslim, could be a terrorist.

Mace in turn called Greene “batshit crazy” and “nuts,” using a pointedly chosen set of emojis.

Time and again in recent weeks, McCarthy has had to deal with chaos sown by members of his conference.

McCarthy was in the same position two weeks ago when he sought to tamp down an effort by Greene and other far-right members to take away committee seats from the 13 House Republicans who voted for the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

  The Hill

I've been reading/hearing the idea that Trump won't run for president because he can't stand the idea he might lose (seems probable) and the idea that the GOP want to name him Speaker of the House when the expected Republican rout happens in 2022, which apparently you can do even though he's not in Congress.  That would be another nightmare, but a lesser one.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.