...cheered on by Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner for president in 2024, the conservatives have all but seized control in dramatic fashion.
In a crushing defeat Thursday, five Republican hardliners blocked a typically popular defense bill from advancing — the second time this week it was set back, an unheard-of loss for a House speaker.
“This is a whole new concept of individuals who just want to burn the
whole place down,” McCarthy said after Thursday’s vote, acknowledging he
was frustrated.
