Saturday 7 January 2023

118th congress (10. 392)

After a historic fifteen rounds of voting, surpassing gridlock and internecine opposition not seen since 1923 and before that the American civil war, nearly coming to blows in a Friday night standoff that coincided with the anniversary of the Capitol insurrection, ill-tempered negotiations and a tranche of regrettable concessions, Kevin McCarthy was appointed Speaker of the House and was able to officially convene government and swear in elected members. The rather menacing photograph is an incoming call from the GOP presidential candidate, DT, being brought to one of the party delegates during the final ballot, waved away unanswered as the situation was chaotic enough already.