Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has announced that he will leave Congress when 2023 ends.
"I have decided to depart the House [of Representatives] at the end of this year to serve America in new ways," he wrote in a Dec. 6 op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal. "I know my work is only getting started."
The California congressman faced a tumultuous eight-month tenure as House speaker, serving the third-shortest term in all of Congress' history and the shortest since 1875. He is the first-ever House speaker to be removed from power, which was orchestrated by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). The Florida congressman simply wrote "McLeavin" on the X platform (formerly Twitter) following McCarthy's announcement.
But according to Semafor, McCarthy's term as House speaker "seemed doomed from the start." He secured a historically low majority when he was elected in January, and was deeply unpopular with many members of Congress when compared with others who assumed speakership.
The outlet added that shortly after being deposed, there was widespread speculation that McCarthy would soon exit Congress. The congressman for the Golden State downplayed the claims in October, telling reporters that he had "a lot more work to do." But in private, McCarthy apparently told political donors of his plan to "get the hell out" of the lower chamber as reported by Axios.
McCarthy's plan to leave Congress by year's end puts the House Republicans' majority further at risk by shrinking their lead to just two members. Former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) was expelled from Congress over alleged claims of fraud. Meanwhile, Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) has accepted an offer to serve as president of Youngstown State University in his home state. (Related: George Santos tied to Ilhan Omar-style immigration marriage scam.)
Some House GOP members expressed frustration with the New York congressman's expulsion in November, saying it would further compromise the majority. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) described the move as "a bad strategy."
McCarthy willing to serve under Trump if the latter wins in 2024
Semafor noted that despite McCarthy's clashes with former President Donald Trump, the former House speaker has reaffirmed Trump's standing as the GOP's de facto leader. According to the Atlantic's Peter Wehner, McCarthy helped rehabilitate the former chief executive after the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021 false flag riot.
A California GOP strategist told ABC that McCarthy was also highly regarded as a master fundraiser within the party, adding: "I don't know who else can step into that role."
Even California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, acknowledged McCarthy's skill. He told Semafor's Dave Weigel that the former House speaker "was a pretty effective campaigner in these key districts. He was proximate, and he had the resources."
To this end, McCarthy expressed his willingness to serve under a second Trump administration in case the real estate mogul wins the 2024 election. His response came as an answer to a question lodged by CBS News host Robert Costa during the congressman's Dec. 10 appearance on "Sunday Morning." McCarthy's globalist leanings cast doubt on his loyalty to Trump, however.
"In the right position," he told Costa. "Look – if I'm the best person for the job, yes."
"I worked with [former] President Trump on a lot of policies. We worked together to win the majority. But we also have a relationship where we're very honest with each other."
McCarthy also predicted that Trump would eventually be named the GOP's nominee for the presidency. The former president is currently the No. 1 candidate in opinion polls, leaving his rivals behind with huge margins. In contrast, the Democratic Party has focused on securing a second term for President Joe Biden.
"If Biden stays as the nominee for the Democrats, I believe Trump will win," McCarthy remarked. "I believe the Republicans will gain more seats in the House, and the Republicans will win the Senate."
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Watch this clip about the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
This video is from the Rick Langley channel on Brighteon.com.
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