Former House speaker and retiring Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has endorsed former President Donald Trump for president and expressed his willingness to serve in Trump’s cabinet if he secures the White House once again.
McCarthy’s relationship with the former president faced challenges, particularly when he refrained from publicly endorsing Trump’s re-election bid after having been one of his earliest and most steadfast supporters.
In an interview set to air this weekend on “CBS News Sunday Morning,” McCarthy said, “I will support the president. I will support President Trump.”
McCarthy has not revealed what he plans to do after he leaves Congress. However, when questioned about the possibility of serving in a Trump cabinet, he responded, “If I’m the best person for the job and it’s the right position, then yes.”
During the interview with CBS’ Robert Costa, McCarthy said, “Look, I worked with President Trump on a lot of policies. I, we, worked together to win the majority. But we also have a relationship where we’re very honest with one another.”
Republican lawmakers, including those who have previously opposed Trump, are quickly rallying behind him as the expected nominee.
While overseeing the narrow GOP majority in the House, McCarthy refrained from endorsing Trump and aimed to maintain a more neutral stance while seeking funds from affluent donors, some of whom had grown disenchanted with the former president.
Cognizant of the fact that several rank-and-file lawmakers represent congressional districts won by President Joe Biden, McCarthy refrained from offering his endorsement to avoid placing them in a political predicament.
However, McCarthy, who relied on Trump’s support to secure the speakership after a challenging 15-vote ordeal in January, has consistently found his way back to Trump.
Kevin McCarthy endorses President Trump pic.twitter.com/j2CwOJHeRE
— I’m No Angel (@HappyCamper2626) December 9, 2023
Following the January 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol, McCarthy initially labeled it as one of the saddest days of his congressional experience and attributed blame to Trump. However, he swiftly traveled to Mar-a-Lago in Florida weeks later to reconcile and repair his relationship with the former president.
McCarthy’s hard-right detractors, including some of Trump’s most loyal allies among the House GOP, voted to remove him from the position of House speaker in October.
