The fall of Republican Kevin McCarthy as leader of the U.S. House of Representatives marks a historic moment in U.S. politics. The motion to impeach him was introduced by Matt Gaetz, an ultraconservative from Florida, and passed by a narrow margin of 216 votes to 210. This is the first time such a motion has passed in the history of the House.

According to La Prensa Latina article, the reason behind McCarthy’s dismissal is related to the concessions he made to the Democrats, which was not well received by more conservative members of his own party. Gaetz, who opposed McCarthy from the start, had been threatening to remove him from office for months, but the threat intensified when McCarthy relied on Democratic votes to pass a bill that averted the government shutdown by extending government funding for 45 days for critical issues.

While McCarthy expressed confidence in him staying in office, his fortunes began to change when Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries instructed members of his caucus to vote in favor of impeachment.

It is worth noting that in November’s midterm elections, the Conservatives held 221 seats in the House, while the Democrats had 212, which made it possible for Gaetz to successfully trigger the motion.

Matt Gaetz is a member of the Freedom Caucus, a wing of the Republican Party known for its support of former President Donald Trump. To introduce the motion, only one legislator, whether Democrat or Republican, needed to do so, and the vote needed to reach a simple majority, which in this case was 217 votes due to the two vacancies in the House of Representatives.

This is not the first time a speaker of the House of Representatives has faced an impeachment motion, but it's the first time one has passed in a century. In the past, attempts to impeach Joseph Cannon in 1910 and John Boehner in 2015 have been unsuccessful. However, the filing of the motion against Boehner eventually led to his resignation months later, according to the publication.

According to House rules, the Speaker of the House himself must create a list of potential replacements in the event that his seat is declared vacant. That list is kept secret until the situation occurs, and the person chosen takes office on an interim basis until a new leader is elected, the article said. McCarthy’s downfall is sure to have significant repercussions for American politics and the future of the Republican Party.