Kevin McCarthy’s recent showdown with Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) has revealed the House minority leader's clear red line in punishing members: whether the entire conference — especially those on the far-right — has his back.
Why it matters: McCarthy's forthright and public condemnation of Cawthorn — after lesser actions against Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) — offers a glimpse into how he'd lead the party as House speaker.
