McCarthy Insists Trump Still Backs Him For Speaker After Historic Loss In 3 Voting Rounds

Topline

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Tuesday night claimed he still had former President Donald Trump’s support and will remain in the fight to become House speaker, hours after Trump refused to say if he was backing McCarthy’s bid, which has been thrown into disarray by a revolt of right-wing lawmakers.

Key Facts

Speaking to reporters late on Tuesday, McCarthy said Trump had “already reiterated his support,” adding that he had spoken with him earlier that night.

When asked if Trump wanted him to stay in the speaker race, McCarthy responded “oh yeah,” adding the former president wanted him to bring an end to the chaos and unite the Republican party.

The Republican lawmaker also insisted he will not be coaxed out of the race, despite failing to secure the speakership after three rounds of voting.

His remarks were made after McCarthy attended a closed-door meeting with his allies.

Key Background

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump in an interview with NBC News appeared non-committal about supporting McCarthy’s bid following the chaos that unfolded in the House. Trump said he had been taking calls throughout the day from people seeking his support. When asked if he will keep backing McCarthy, the former president said, “we’ll see what happens.” Last month, Trump was more vocal in his support for McCarthy’s bid saying he “deserved the shot” in an interview with Breitbart News. The former President also slammed Republican lakers opposing McCarthy’s bid saying they were “playing a very dangerous game.” The California lawmaker has been one of Trump’s most loyal supporters in Congress and was the first lawmaker to meet the former president following the January 6 riots.

News Peg

McCarthy’s bid for the speaker’s gavel was thrown into chaos on Tuesday after he failed to garner the required 218 votes after three rounds of voting, despite the Republicans holding 222 seats. The California Republican faced opposition from a group of hard-right lawmakers who chose to back other candidates. By the third round of voting, McCarthy’s opponents coalesced around Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) who won 20 votes while McCarthy received 202. The House was eventually adjourned, with another round of voting expected to take place at noon Wednesday. Amid the chaos, Democrats presented a united front with all the party’s 212 lawmakers voting for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) in the speaker election. This is the first time in 100 years that voting for the House speaker has gone past the first round.

Further Reading

Trump Declines To Keep Endorsing McCarthy For Speaker After Voting Chaos, Report Says (Forbes)

McCarthy’s bid for speaker to continue, says Trump backs him (Associated Press)