Shortly before Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California was ousted as Speaker of the House last Tuesday, one of his most prominent allies stepped forward to vouch for his character.

Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, a veteran GOP lawmaker who chairs the House Rules Committee, touted McCarthy’s leadership in the lower chamber as he rejected calls by conservative hardliners to oust their speaker, who had only been in the role since January.

“The overwhelming majority of my party supports the speaker that we elected. We’re proud of the leadership he’s shown,” Cole said at the time.