In the minutes after the motion to vacate against McCarthy, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., was named as speaker pro tempore, an interim role to lead the chamber until another speaker is elected at a future point.

McHenry is a top McCarthy ally and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.

He recessed the House for caucus meetings.

Eight Republicans voted to take away McCarthy's gavel.

In addition to Gaetz, who introduced the motion to vacate, the following Republicans voted to oust McCarthy: Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Eli Crane of Arizona, Bob Good of Virginia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Matt Rosendale of Arizona.

Every Democrat present also supported the motion to vacate.

In a 45-minute roll call vote, the House moved to oust McCarthy as speaker.

The final vote was 216 to 210 in favor of Gaetz's motion to vacate, with eight Republicans joining Democrats.

"The office of speaker of the House of the United States House of Representatives is hereby declared vacant," said presiding officer Rep. Steve Womack.

It is the first time in U.S. history that the speaker of the House has been booted from the post, putting the chamber in unprecedented territory.

Republican rebels appear to have enough votes to remove McCarthy as speaker, given that Democrats joined them, though the vote is ongoing.

After Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., delivered a speech castigating McCarthy and explaining why he was joining Gaetz in the motion to vacate, Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma spoke out in support of McCarthy and warned of "chaos" should the conference's breakaway faction succeed in removing him.

"They're willing to plunge this body into chaos, and this country into uncertainty, for reasons only they understand," Cole said. To the Democrats who are expected to vote against McCarthy as well, Cole said, "Think long and hard before you plunge us into chaos."

Cole also celebrated how McCarthy had navigated the differences in the closely divided House -- and Washington more broadly -- to notch spending cuts in the debt limit fight earlier this year, pushing back on criticism from Gaetz and others that McCarthy hadn't done enough to curb the federal budget.

Cole also suggested McCarthy had proven himself capable of making sure the House would continue to accomplish Republican priorities.

"I'm very proud of this speaker. I'm very proud to stand behind him. Tomorrow morning, whether I win or lose, I'm going to be pretty proud of the people I fought with and I'm going to be pretty proud of the person I fought for," Cole said.

-ABC News' Adam Carlson