Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has endorsed former President Donald Trump for the 2024 election cycle while also saying that he would serve in Trump’s Cabinet if asked. McCarthy’s latest statement comes after he was removed as House speaker and subsequently announced that he would retire at the end of the year.
McCarthy and Trump have a long history of not seeing eye to eye, though they’ve seemingly managed to work things out. However, McCarthy was removed as House speaker by a small group of Republican representatives who are largely considered to be some of the most pro-Trump members in Congress.
The former House speaker reportedly said, “I will support the president. I will support President Trump.”
McCarthy was then asked about whether he would be willing to serve in Trump’s cabinet. “In the right position, look, if, if I’m the best person for the job, yes,” he said.
In a new interview, McCarthy says he endorses Trump and is willing to serve in his Cabinet if asked: “We have a relationship where we’re very honest with one another.” pic.twitter.com/dJbfj2nBgB
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) December 9, 2023
McCarthy has yet to clarify what he will do now that he is set to retire from the House. Some of the Republican lawmakers who voted to oust him privately stated that they thought he would work to ensure they — and all who went against McCarthy — would lose their upcoming elections.
However, if McCarthy decides to align his future with Trump, analysts say he likely won’t campaign against his foes, as some thought could happen. The Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy remain some of the strongest supporters of Trump in Washington.
While he is often considered to be one of Trump’s earliest supporters, McCarthy wasn’t afraid to criticize the former president, especially after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. McCarthy also refused to publicly campaign and support Trump during his quest for reelection in 2020.
However, these latest comments have already signaled to many political analysts that it appears the two Republicans have patched things up. This could be because many polls suggest that Trump will easily win the GOP presidential nomination, as he’s far ahead of all other candidates.
As McCarthy begins to plan his career once he retires from Congress, analysts believe he may try to find a place beside Trump after his latest public comments.
