In a remarkable effort to salvage his candidacy after the final votes were tallied, McCarthy strode to the back of the chamber to personally lobby two defectors, Republicans Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Matt Gaetz of Florida, both of whom voted “present”. If one would change their vote and back him for speaker, McCarthy would reach the 217 votes needed to win the vote. Both remained resolute. Tensions boiled, as a crowd swelled around them. There was finger pointing and yelling, and one lawmaker physically restrained a colleague who appeared to charge at Gaetz.