Political Drama Marks 2023; What’s Up Next In 2024?

In a rollercoaster year of political drama, 2023 unfolded with Republicans engaged in a high-stakes power struggle, setting the stage for a cascade of events that would rock the political landscape.The year kicked off with a heavyweight bout within the Republican ranks, as Kevin McCarthy clinched the Speaker of the House position after a fierce battle that took 15 rounds of voting. The twist? McCarthy had to agree to a provision allowing any caucus member to trigger a vote for his removal. This move would come back to haunt him when MAGA firebrand Matt Gaetz seized the opportunity after President Joe Biden decisively outmaneuvered McCarthy in negotiations to avert a government shutdown that former President Trump, the MAGA prince, had ardently sought.In terms of Trump, the year began with the former president entangled in a legal web woven by New York politicians. E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit against Trump resulted from a one-year look-back window that Gov. Kathy Hochul signed and opened in November 2022. The civil jury sided with Carroll, awarding her a hefty $5 million in damages. But that was just the tip of the legal iceberg for the wannabe dictator.