This was a notable dynamic in the spending fight that led to the toppling of Speaker McCarthy.
There’s no dealing with the likes of Mr. Gaetz because he’s operating on a different dimension from someone like Mr. McCarthy, a pragmatist and coalition-builder who is trying to move the ball incrementally.
It’s the difference between politics as theater and politics as the art of the possible; politics as individual brand-building and politics as team sport.
In the last Congress, Nancy Pelosi had a slim majority like Mr. McCarthy and a restive handful of members on her left flank, the so-called Squad.
It is instructive to contrast her not just with Mr. McCarthy, but with the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell.
Persons:
McCarthy, Gaetz, Donald Trump, He’s, Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi, Mitch McConnell, Ms, McConnell, Jim Jordan
Organizations:
Republican, Caucus