Kevin McCarthy drops out of House Speaker race

On Thursday, Republican representative Kevin McCarthy dropped out from the race to replace Speaker of the House John Boehner. This action baffled many of his colleagues, who had perceived him as a frontrunner. “He was making his plea this morning for speaker and this afternoon he’s out of the race,” said Rep. John Fleming of Louisiana. “What happened in those four hours, I don’t know.” McCarthy has faced backlash from the Republican Party for his remarks on the House Benghazi committee, undercutting GOP claims that the inquiry was apolitical.