It’s all real evidence. Just because a single piece of information is not enough to justify a conviction, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t add to our overall understanding of what happened and would contribute to an eventual conviction, along with other pieces of evidence.

It’s pretty strong circumstantial evidence. There are also reports that there are numerous cameras that captured both cars racing.

McCarthy also desperately needs every last vote or he loses the speakership.

Even with the 6 present votes for Speaker in the 15th round, his margin is 2 votes. There’s an open house seat in VA that will probably go Dem in the February special election. If Santos is forced to resign and a Dem wins the special election to refill that seat, with 6 present votes, McCarthy’s margin is 215-214.

In that scenario it wouldn’t just take a single member to force a vote to oust him as speaker. At that point it would only take a single member flipping to remove him from the speakership altogether and that includes any of the 6 present votes changing their vote to an actual candidate.