A chaotic scene has been unfolding in the United States House of Representatives today as Republicans in the House have not agreed on electing a new majority leader to serve as Speaker of the House on the first ballot — a rare instance that hasn't occurred in over 100 years.

More black smoke from the House of Representatives as we go another round without a Speaker. pic.twitter.com/kc5Q1G146T

— Emmitt Sklar (@EmmittSklar) January 3, 2023

The presumed frontrunner heading into today's Congressional election was Kevin McCarthy, who has served as House Minority leader under the Joe Biden administration. After November's midterms, Republicans were able to take a slim lead in the House of Representatives, outnumbering Democrats 222-212. The new Congress then traditionally elects its leader shortly after being inaugurated.

McCarthy has the support of the majority of Congressional Republicans but is reportedly despised by some of the party's more right-wing members, including such meme-magnets like Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert and Paul Gosar.

McCarthy needs 218 votes to take on the role of House Speaker, but in the first ballot to elect a speaker today, 19 Republicans voted against him, making it the first time in over a century that Congress did not elect a new Speaker on the first ballot. Democrat Hakeem Jeffries technically "won" the first ballot, gaining 212 votes to McCarthy's 203 — a largely symbolic victory, as it achieved nothing for either party.

Prior to the second ballot, Representative Jim Jordan made a stump speech urging the anti-McCarthy caucus to coalesce around McCarthy. In an ironic turn of events, Matt Gaetz then nominated Jim Jordan to be Speaker and all the anti-McCarthy Republicans voted for Jordan.

Hakeem Jeffries – 212
Kevin McCarthy – 203
Jim Jordan – 19

Jim Jordan’s nominating speech for Kevin McCarthy yielded new votes for Jim Jordan rather than Kevin McCarthy.

— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) January 3, 2023

At the time of writing, there is immense confusion as to what the future of the House of Representatives could be, as 19 Republicans seem intent on holding the House hostage, and it's difficult to imagine Republicans defecting and voting for Democrat Hakeem Jeffries.

The confusion was largely music to the ears of left-leaning memers and other internet users who seemingly relished in the humiliation of McCarthy.

It's time the House of Representatives reaches the most logical compromise pic.twitter.com/7Yg4uJVbJx

— matt jennings (@NotMattJ) January 3, 2023

the US house of representatives is in a live tribal right now pic.twitter.com/tUvoRhQd9L

— emily scherer (@_schem) January 3, 2023

BREAKING: The US House of Representatives has elected a new Speaker… This inanimate carbon rod! 😂 pic.twitter.com/xrEbep0N9k

— Will Patterson 🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈🇺🇦 (@WillJPatterson) January 3, 2023

Still, though things seem hopelessly deadlocked now, this Congress has quite a ways to go if it wants to surpass the longest Speaker election in U.S. History, which took place in 1855 and went 133 ballots before Representative Nathaniel Banks got the role.