CNN —House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s allies are scrambling to head off a right-wing revolt to oust the California Republican from his job and turning to the constituency that now suddenly holds the cards: House Democrats. One Democratic lawmaker who supports ousting McCarthy told CNN, “I have no trust in, nor respect for, McCarthy. But House Democrats also acknowledge that they don’t know another Republican who can get the 218 votes needed to clinch the speakership. “My advice to my fellow Democrats is simple: Follow the leader,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Jake Tapper. But while Jeffries has maintained a more cordial relationship with McCarthy than his predecessor, there have been recent signs of strain.

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