McCarthy Contemplates Departing from the House Amidst Concerns of GOP Rivals

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is contemplating whether to remain in his position after being unceremoniously removed as speaker. Despite his belief that he was unjustly ousted and harboring resentment towards the Republicans who effectively terminated his nine-month tenure, McCarthy expressed in an exclusive interview with CNN that he longs to have a seat "at the table." He also pledged to assist the new speaker and demonstrated a stronger allegiance to former President Donald Trump, as the 2024 election approaches. Additionally, McCarthy questioned the conservative credentials of the "crazy eight" Republicans who voted to strip him of his leadership role.

The California Republican directed his strongest criticisms towards Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who spearheaded the campaign to remove McCarthy from his position. McCarthy consistently alleged that Gaetz's pursuit was motivated solely by a House Ethics Committee investigation that Gaetz is currently facing. The GOP hardliner has vehemently denied these allegations.

McCarthy asserted that he does not perceive them as true conservatives, referring to the eight Republicans. He attributed their actions to Gaetz and claimed that it stemmed from an ethics complaint lodged during the previous Congress. McCarthy accused Gaetz of being willing to sacrifice his country's welfare in order to shield himself from the potentially damaging truth that would emerge.

McCarthy insinuated that Gaetz's motive for advocating for McCarthy's removal and subsequently supporting Mike Johnson as speaker was solely to suppress the ethics probe.

According to McCarthy, if the Ethics Committee fails to take any action against Gaetz, it would mean that Gaetz effectively thwarted the investigation that he deserved.

McCarthy called for Gaetz to face repercussions, alleging that he had breached internal House GOP Conference rules by initiating the removal vote without sufficient support from Republicans. However, Johnson's stance appears to differ from McCarthy's.

Johnsons office declined to comment, while Gaetz brushed off the attacks.

McCarthy, who went from being the most influential Republican in Washington to a regular party member with no control over the party's agenda, is intending to complete the remainder of his term, according to his aides. However, he indicated in the interview that he might choose not to seek re-election.

"I have some time during the holidays. I will discuss with my family the possibilities of what lies ahead, and then I will come to a decision," McCarthy informed CNN while sitting in his modest office, which he pointed out was the same place where Harry Truman was playing cards when he found out about his presidency in 1945 after Franklin Roosevelt's passing.

Yet McCarthy sounded uncertain about staying in the House.

When asked if he was leaning toward staying in Congress behind or choosing a new path, McCarthy said, "I dont know."

Meanwhile, McCarthys removal as speaker may be felt in the GOPs pocketbook.

During his tenure as the GOP leader and subsequently as speaker, he proved to be an exceptionally effective fundraiser for the party, amassing a staggering $637 million for his two associated outside organizations, namely the Congressional Leadership Fund and the American Action Network. Additionally, recent federal records indicate that McCarthy has successfully garnered $78 million for four other fundraising entities in the current year alone.

Although Johnson has already taken measures to enhance his own fundraising appeal, and with the GOP's party committee boasting impressive fundraising figures since his appointment as speaker, the Louisiana Republican has actively sought the assistance of McCarthy in order to establish valuable connections with significant donors.

McCarthy stated on Thursday that the speaker contacted him the previous night, inquiring about his attendance at an upcoming event. He expressed his determination to assist in introducing the speaker to individuals, emphasizing the significance of the conference and the nation. However, McCarthy's activities have been relatively discreet since Johnson's appointment as the new speaker. He explained that he has refrained from attending GOP conference meetings to avoid becoming a focal point as the speaker commences his term.

McCarthy informed CNN that he has not had any communication with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries since his removal, despite their amicable relationship during McCarthy's speakership prior to the New York Democrat voting against him.

Furthermore, he disregarded any worries expressed by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who relinquished significant office space in the Capitol after McCarthy authorized her eviction from the premises.

McCarthy also accused Pelosi of betraying her word when it came to the motion to oust him.

Pelosi's spokesperson, Aaron Bennett, dismissed McCarthy's statements as "nonsense."

Speaker Pelosi has clearly indicated her commitment to the dignity of the House, not just to McCarthy but to everyone, according to Bennett. She acknowledged Hakeem Jeffries as our candidate for speaker and stated that we will follow his lead, as she conveyed to McCarthy.

However, McCarthy's compliance with the far-right ultimately led to his downfall. In his efforts to secure the votes needed to become speaker in January, he ultimately acquired the position following 15 ballots. As part of this process, he agreed to lower the threshold, enabling a single member to call for a vote to remove a seated speaker. This was a departure from Pelosi's approach, where she had implemented stricter conditions for such a vote to be initiated.

McCarthy was asked if he had anticipated serving as speaker for two years, to which he replied, "I was never certain."

McCarthy acknowledged that it was thanks to Trump's support that he became speaker. However, he faced criticism from Trump's team in recent months when he expressed doubts about being the most suitable candidate for the GOP.

In the interview, McCarthy predicted that the former president will be the partys nominee next year and said that he will support him.

McCarthy has consistently supported the former president in spite of numerous controversies and expressed to CNN that he has no worries about Trump facing criminal charges in the upcoming 2024 election.

McCarthy stated that typically "you would be concerned about such things" in most candidates, but this doesn't apply to Trump. However, he admitted that it might have a slight negative impact on Trump's reputation among suburban or swing voters: "But Biden is in a worse predicament, isn't he?"

McCarthy expressed his resolute stance, stating that he has minimal regrets and would not alter his decision to pass a temporary funding bill, despite the imminent government shutdown. This bill required the support of Democrats to be enacted into law. Gaetz regarded this action as the final tipping point. McCarthy defended his choice, affirming that he would repeat it without hesitation in order to ensure the continuity of the government and provide funding for the military. Later, he strongly criticized the eight Republicans who disagreed with his approach.

And he continued to question Gaetzs motivations.

McCarthy said Gaetz lacks a conservative inclination in his philosophy and focuses primarily on his persona as a "TV congressman".

Haley Talbot and Shania Shelton contributed to this report.