The fall of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is rippling through the political ionosphere as the nation watches with bated breath to see what happens next.

After the votes were counted and it was apparent that McCarthy would have to give up the gavel, it raised a series of important questions. Who will be the next Speaker? How will this affect the GOP? What does Taylor Swift think?

Okay, I’m kidding about that last one. But the question I have is: How will this brouhaha affect Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL)?

The lawmaker was the mastermind behind the plot to oust McCarthy, working behind the scenes with his Democratic colleagues to obtain “yes” votes on the motion to vacate. In fact, only a paltry eight Republicans voted in favor of the motion to send the former speaker packing.

Still, Gaetz’s calculated chess move made history. This is the very first time a House Speaker has been stripped of their position. The fallout will reverberate for years to come. For Gaetz, it could go one of two ways.

On the one hand, the move could end up backfiring on Gaetz like trusting a Chinese spy did to Eric Swalwell. Yes, many on the right are not too fond of McCarthy and were not happy when he was made speaker in the first place. However, a lot of these folks have a more pragmatic and realistic view of how Congress works and understood that he would not be able to accomplish many of the things he promised to the conservative House Freedom Caucus.

Moreover, McCarthy still enjoys the support of former President Donald Trump, who still holds tremendous influence in the GOP even if members of his base do not agree with him on the former speaker. Even if McCarthy isn’t their top choice, they might recognize that standing on principle can sometimes be dangerous over the long term if nothing is accomplished.

But, from where I sit, if anything were to blow back on Gaetz, it would be the fact that he cozied up with Democrats to remove a Republican. He did more than simply engage in some bipartisanship; he actively collaborated with Democrats to remove McCarthy knowing he would never get enough support from Republicans to accomplish this feat. Regardless of how one feels about McCarthy, this is sure to leave a bad taste in some people’s mouths.

Now, let’s put the shoe on the other foot.

It is also possible that Gaetz’s unholy alliance with Team Blue might not matter as much as it seems. Among those who do not hold McCarthy in high regard, this pragmatic, even Machiavellian, move might just boost Gaetz’s popularity with the base, many of whom are disenchanted with the GOP. The fact that the overwhelming majority of Republican lawmakers voted against the motion might further solidify their dissatisfaction with the GOP. If they view McCarthy as ineffective, then how will they view those who voted to keep him in his position?

However, those who might feel this way likely do not represent most Republican voters. When McCarthy was first installed as speaker, an Economist/YouGov poll showed that 59 percent of Republicans approved of him while only 21 percent disapproved.

Still, there is also the possibility that most Republican voters don’t care whether McCarthy is speaker or not. Perhaps they are more concerned about kitchen table issues than they are about who holds the shiny hammer on the House floor. In this case, it could cause this group of people to become even more disenchanted with the party, which could harm the overall movement in the upcoming elections. If Republicans can’t even get over their infighting and internal squabbles long enough to govern, then what’s the point of supporting them, people might wonder.

This might be especially true of independents who are typically willing to vote for GOP candidates. Regardless of how this affects Gaetz, this fiasco could redound quite negatively on the Republican Party’s political future. Gaetz’s gamble was a risky move. But the ramifications of this initiative could have an even more profound effect on his party.