Kevin McCarthy has become the first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after being removed Tuesday amid a rebellion within his own Republican Party.

The House voted 216-210 to remove McCarthy from the leadership position, including eight votes from fellow Republicans. It marked the first time in U.S. history that a House Speaker has been relieved of the role via resolution.

McCarthy faced opposition from the far-right wing of his party. The removal of the speaker immediately initiated a new election for the position, which should take place later this week.

US Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California, is facing a vote on whether to oust him from the chamber's top job as he squares off against far-right critics in his own party
McCarthy speaks to reporters in Washington Tuesday AFP

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), an ally of Donald Trump, filed a motion Monday night to remove McCarthy from his post. The move came after McCarthy worked with Democrats to pass a stopgap measure that temporarily averted a government shutdown.

Gaetz and a group of far-right Republicans in the House were against any agreement to fund the government. They were calling for deeper spending cuts and revolted against McCarthy for striking a deal with Democrats.

"Kevin McCarthy is a creature of the swamp," Gaetz told reporters after the historic vote. "He has risen to power by collecting special interest money and redistributing that money in exchange for favors. We are breaking the fever now, and we should elect a speaker who's better."

In an initial vote, the House rejected the idea of "tabling" the motion to oust McCarthy, forcing the proposal to a vote on the floor. The final tally was 218-208, with 11 members of the Republican party joining 216 Democrats to allow the motion to proceed.

Jayapal speaks in Washington.

Democrats saw McCarthy as unreliable after he broke a spending agreement made with President Joe Biden earlier this year to prevent a government shutdown. His decision to allow the House to start an impeachment inquiry of the president also angered Democrats, who opted to support the resolution to remove him.

"We're not voting in any way that would help save Speaker McCarthy," Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal told reporters in Washington after her party meeting this morning. "Nobody trusts Kevin McCarthy. He has broken his commitment over and over again."

In January, it took five days and 15 votes on the floor for McCarthy to be confirmed speaker. A group of about 20 Republicans repeatedly voted against him until some of his demands were met.