Will control of GOP be decided soon?

Gaetz won battle — but not the war

With the big flood and the imminent shutdown of our government, we New Yorkers faced a disaster of almost Biblical proportions.

Then, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stunned Washington and the MAGA Republicans, including Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, when he compromised and sided with moderate Republicans and Democrats to back a bill to fund the government for 45 days [“Government shutdown averted,” News, Oct. 1].

He temporarily avoided a shutdown without imposing spending cuts or tightening border security that the far right demanded.

In doing so, McCarthy told Gaetz, Greene and other MAGA Republicans they no longer control the GOP. But, for now, perhaps they have had the last laugh [“McCarthy 1st to be removed as speaker in historic vote,” News, Oct. 4].

Soon, we likely will know which part of the Republican Party will prevail and whether former President Donald Trump and his congressional acolytes will retain their political power. I think the civil war in the GOP is far from over.

Gaetz’s actions make it appear that his extreme wing of the party, while successful in removing McCarthy, will damage the GOP as a whole.

Gaetz won this battle but may have lost the war that leads up to the Republicans’ hopes on Election Day 2024.

— Michael J. Gorman, Whitestone

Rep. Matt Gaetz wanted to get rid of Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House and succeeded. Apparently, the former speaker did two things wrong according to the MAGA Republican.

He reached across the aisle to agree on a compromise with the Democrats and (despite calls from former President Donald Trump to shut it down) kept the government running. I thought those were two things our leaders are supposed to do.

— Richard Rosener, Blue Point