Kevin McCarthy’s Portrait Unveiling Reflects a Turbulent Speakership

Lawmakers gathered in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall on Tuesday for the unveiling of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s portrait. The ceremony drew a mix of allies and former rivals, including current Speaker Mike Johnson, former Majority Leader Eric Cantor, and Democratic leader Rep. Steny H. Hoyer. Speakers praised McCarthy’s willingness to bridge partisan divides while also recalling the brief, contentious nature of his tenure.

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McCarthy secured the speakership in early 2023 after 15 rounds of voting, becoming the House’s 55th speaker by agreeing to lower the vote threshold that later enabled his removal. His term lasted nine months; in October 2023, eight Republican colleagues used a motion to vacate—a procedural tool not employed since 1910—to oust him after he struck a stop-gap funding deal with Democrats. The portrait ceremony served as a partial reunion for the “Young Guns” cohort that once included Cantor and former Speaker Paul Ryan.

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Democratic leader Rep. Steny H. Former ally Rep. Garret Graves emphasized that a speaker’s impact, not tenure length, defines their legacy. Rep. Patrick McHenry highlighted McCarthy’s “legendary tolerance for pain,” while Speaker Johnson called him a “big brother figure” who managed “hundreds of unruly colleagues” toward common goals. Cantor credited McCarthy with sustaining the “Young Guns” network that helped elect more than 200 members. The remarks blended admiration with acknowledgment of the challenges that ended his speakership.

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• “As the politics of the House became more toxic and confrontational, I found Kevin to be someone who still believed we could work together,” — Rep. Steny H. Hoyer

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• “I knew what they were going to do to me,” — Kevin McCarthy, got to witness

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• “You, me and Paul Ryan created a little thing called Young Guns. That thing has lasted all the way until the last term. More than 200 people have been able to be elected through that, and you were leader of it, you led us here. You led us everywhere. You deserve a lot more credit than you have been given for making this place work,” — Majority Leader Eric Cantor

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• “Some leaders want followers who will stand in their shadow. Actually, it’s a bad joke because I sincerely mean this. But when I said it out loud, I realized at my height, I was always in Kevin’s shadow,” — Rep. Patrick McHenry

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The portrait now joins the House’s permanent collection of speaker portraits, symbolizing both McCarthy’s brief leadership and the enduring debate over congressional governance.

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