Kevin McCarthy Honored with Official Portrait at Capitol

Kevin McCarthy, the first speaker to be ousted from the position, was honored at the Capitol with the unveiling of his official portrait. During a challenging period in his bid to become House speaker in 2023, McCarthy had a tense exchange with Representative Matt Gaetz, who was opposing him. McCarthy remarked, "Matt, it sounds like you want to be speaker," to which Gaetz replied, "You’ll get the portrait." McCarthy responded, "I’ve got a lot of pictures of myself; I don’t need a portrait," before asking Gaetz to leave his office. On Tuesday, McCarthy received the official portrait marking his brief tenure as speaker, which lasted 269 days. The portrait, painted by Chas Fagan, was unveiled during a ceremony in Statuary Hall attended by various Cabinet officials and members of Congress. McCarthy's time as speaker was characterized by significant challenges, including a debt ceiling negotiation with President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and internal party conflicts. Former Representative Patrick McHenry praised McCarthy's resilience, stating, "Everyone got to witness his legendary tolerance for pain." The program distributed at the event highlighted McCarthy's achievements, including a debt ceiling deal that reduced deficits. Despite his struggles with public speaking, McHenry noted McCarthy's political acumen. The tradition of hanging portraits of speakers in the Capitol dates back to 1852. McCarthy expressed gratitude during the unveiling, stating, "I loved every minute of every day I was able to serve."