McCarthy fails for second day to win U.S. House speaker vote

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives gather for a fourth round of voting for a new House Speaker on the second day of the 118th Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 4, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Republicans in the House of Representatives failed for a second straight day to elect a leader on Wednesday, as a faction of holdouts repeatedly defied former President Donald Trump's call to unite behind his ally Kevin McCarthy.

After three failed votes and a round of closed-door talks, McCarthy appeared no closer to securing the post of House speaker, a powerful job second in the line of succession to the presidency.