‘A disaster’: Speaker fight exposes GOP leadership vacuum

By STEVE PEOPLES and JILL COLVIN
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The stalemate over the Republican House speaker vote is more than just an embarrassment for Kevin McCarthy, who is now the first person in a century to muddle through multiple ballots. The revolt is raising alarms within the GOP as members warn they are sabotaging their new, narrow majority and alienating voters as they struggle to perform their most basic function: electing their own leader. The episode also poses more profound questions about the GOP’s identity and future. It’s a fresh reminder of former President Donald Trump’s waning influence inside the GOP as he again seeks the party’s presidential nomination.