After defeating a rebellion by 25 conservative Republicans this week, Speaker John Boehner John Andrew BoehnerLongtime House parliamentarian to step down Five things we learned from this year's primaries Bad blood between Pelosi, Meadows complicates coronavirus talks MORE (R-Ohio) on Thursday declared himself “the most anti-establishment Speaker” in history.

ADVERTISEMENT

“During my years here when I voted, I had the eighth-most conservative voting record in the Congress, and it does pain me to be described as spineless or a squish,” Boehner John Andrew BoehnerLongtime House parliamentarian to step down Five things we learned from this year's primaries Bad blood between Pelosi, Meadows complicates coronavirus talks MORE told reporters. “But what pains me the most is when they describe me as the establishment.

“I’m the most anti-establishment Speaker we’ve ever had.

"Who was the guy who got rid of earmarks? Me. Who's the guy who believes in regular order? Me," Boehner continued. "Who believes in allowing more members to participate in the process from both sides of the aisle? Me."

Boehner won his third term as Speaker on Tuesday, but with more defections from his own party than any Speaker in modern history. He chalked up the conservative opposition to widespread anger at Washington.

"The American people are very frustrated. They are frustrated in a struggling economy,” Boehner said. “This frustration that's out there, they need to take it out on somebody. They take it out on the president; they take it out on me. It comes with the territory.”