The looming hard-right threat to unseat Speaker Kevin McCarthy has posed a challenging dilemma for House Democrats:

Should they come to the aid of the California Republican who has consistently opposed their legislative agenda and recently initiated an impeachment inquiry against President Biden?

McCarthy’s narrow majority and the presence of a faction of right-wing insurgents striving to replace him make it highly improbable for him to retain his role through a majority vote without some measure of Democratic support.

Nonetheless, it is exceptionally rare for minority members to cast votes in favor of the opposing party’s candidate for the position of speaker, DNYUZ reported.

Leading party figures indicate that, in light of McCarthy’s multiple instances of partisan defiance, they would be exceedingly hesitant to do so now unless McCarthy unequivocally commits to involving Democrats more actively in governing.

On Monday, Mr. Gaetz accused McCarthy of aligning with Mr. Biden and insisted that McCarthy clarify any dealings he had with the White House regarding the spending bill. He also hinted at an imminent formal challenge to the speaker’s leadership later in the week.

In the event that Mr. Gaetz follows through with his threat to initiate a vote to unseat Mr. McCarthy as the House’s highest-ranking official, Democrats assert that they would be disinclined to assist him unless there is a significant quid pro quo.

Democratic officials emphasized that in the absence of a concrete and enforceable concession from Mr. McCarthy that directly benefits their party, they cannot envision garnering enough Democratic support to counterbalance potential Republican defections.

However, Representative Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York and the minority leader, has not yet made a definitive decision with his team regarding their course of action.

Democrats were expected to convene for discussions on their stance during meetings scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.

Written by staff