Retiring Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the ousted former House speaker, said he is endorsing Donald Trump for president and would consider serving in his Cabinet if the GOP front-runner were to win back the White House.
Quick Read
- Kevin McCarthy’s Endorsement of Trump: Retiring Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy, the former House speaker, endorsed Donald Trump for president.
- Consideration for Cabinet Position: McCarthy expressed willingness to serve in Trump’s Cabinet if Trump wins the presidency, stating he would accept “the right position.”
- History of McCarthy and Trump’s Relationship: Despite a rocky relationship, including McCarthy’s initial reluctance to support Trump’s second term bid, the two have consistently reconciled differences.
- McCarthy’s Interview Excerpts: The endorsement was revealed in excerpts from an interview with CBS, marking McCarthy’s first televised interview since his decision to leave Congress.
- GOP Alignment with Trump: McCarthy’s endorsement reflects a broader trend of GOP lawmakers, including previous Trump critics, aligning with Trump as the party’s presumed nominee.
- McCarthy’s Balancing Act as House Speaker: As House speaker, McCarthy had to balance his support for Trump with fundraising efforts and consideration for GOP lawmakers in Biden-won districts.
- Trump’s Influence on McCarthy’s Speaker Role: McCarthy’s path to becoming House speaker, which involved a challenging vote process, was significantly influenced by Trump’s backing.
- Response to Jan. 6 Capitol Attack: After initially blaming Trump for the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, McCarthy visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago to repair their relationship.
- McCarthy’s Ouster as House Speaker: McCarthy was ousted as House speaker in October by a faction of hard-right House GOP members, including staunch Trump supporters.
The Associated Press has the story:
McCarthy endorses Trump for President, considers serving in his Cabinet
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP)
Retiring Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the ousted former House speaker, said he is endorsing Donald Trump for president and would consider serving in his Cabinet if the GOP front-runner were to win back the White House.
McCarthy had a rocky relationship with the former president, notably when he declined to publicly support Trump’s bid for a second term, despite being one of his earliest and most loyal allies. But they always seem to patch things up, and as McCarthy prepares to leave Congress he gave his nod.
“I will support the president. I will support President Trump,” McCarthy said in excerpts of an interview to air this weekend on “CBS News Sunday Morning.”
McCarthy has not disclosed his post-Congress plans, but asked if he would willing to serve in a Trump cabinet, he said, “In the right position, look, if, if I’m the best person for the job, yes.”
“Look, I worked with President Trump on a lot of policies. I, we, worked together to win the majority,” he told CBS’ Robert Costa in the interview, his first to air on TV since announcing he will leave Congress. “But we also have a relationship where we’re very honest with one another.”
GOP lawmakers, even those who have opposed Trump strongly at times, are swiftly falling in line behind the party’s presumed nominee, as they brush past and ignore some of his more alarming authoritarian rhetoric.
McCarthy, as he led the House’s slim GOP majority, had withheld his support for Trump as tried to keep a more neutral air and fundraise from wealthy donors, some of whom have soured on the former president.
Also mindful that a number of rank-and-file lawmakers come from congressional districts that President Joe Biden won, McCarthy held back his endorsement so as not to put them in a political bind.
But McCarthy, who depended on Trump’s backing to become speaker after a grueling 15-vote spectacle in January, has often made his way back to Trump.
In the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters, McCarthy at first called it one of the saddest days he had experienced in Congress, putting the blame on the former president — only to dash to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida weeks later to mend the relationship.
McCarthy was ousted as House speaker in October by his hard-right detractors, including some of Trump’s most loyal allies among the House GOP.
