DLNews Politics:

Trump confidante Kevin McCarthy (57) failed at the fourth attempt to be elected speaker of the House of Representatives. His own colleagues still refused to support the Republicans: McCarthy only got 201 of the 218 votes needed.

Particularly embarrassing for the Trump confidant: Republican MP Chip Roy (50) sent Byron Donalds (44) into the race to torpedo McCarthy's election. Donalds got 20 votes.

Hakeem Jeffries is enjoying the election chaos.

The opposing Democratic candidate, Haakem Jeffries (52), received the support of 212 members of parliament.

After his fourth election swatter, Kevin McCarthy still didn't have enough: "We will vote again," he said as he entered the plenary hall.

MEPs will vote for the fifth time today.

Republican Matt Gaetz (3rd from right) is a staunch opponent of his colleague Kevin McCarthy.

Biden AND Trump warned of embarrassing elections.

It was only on Tuesday that McCarthy, who had been the head of the Republican parliamentary group since 2014, swept through the elections in three rounds – a historic debacle. Since 1923 no Speaker of Parliament has required more than one vote.

In the hours before the fourth vote, even US President Joe Biden (80) and his predecessor and archenemy Donald Trump (76) had warned that the endless hanging game could be embarrassing. "It doesn't make a good impression," Biden said. "This is the United States of America, and I hope they pull themselves together."

Trump called on his supporters to vote for McCarthy: "Don't turn a great triumph into a huge and embarrassing defeat," he wrote.

McCarthy was nominated for the post by his party colleague Elise Stefanik (38). He is a "seasoned MP, a seasoned leader, a friend to so many of us, a proud Conservative with a tireless work ethic," she said.

The problem: McCarthy does not enjoy the confidence of all Republicans. Some particularly right-wing MPs consider the Trump supporter to be too moderate. For example, Florida Republican Matt Gaetz wrote a satirical letter Wednesday calling McCarthy a "squatter" who should no longer be in the House Speaker's office.