Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has officially endorsed Donald Trump for the 2024 race, adding that he is willing to work in his Cabinet in the White House.
During a preview of an interview for CBS Sunday Morning, McCarthy told CBS anchor Robert Costa that the 45th president could “count on his support.”
The California representative did not support Trump when he served as speaker.
He was removed after 216 of his former colleagues – including eight Republicans – voted to resign, making him the first speaker ever to be removed from office.
Just last week, he announced his plans to leave Congress at the end of the month.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has officially endorsed former President Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election
In an interview on CBS Sunday Morning, McCarthy added that he believes Trump would win the nomination and beat President Joe Biden in the 2024 race
McCarthy said he would be willing to work in Trump's Cabinet if he was “the best person for the job.”
When asked if Trump would be the Republican nominee in the upcoming presidential election, McCarthy replied, “Yes.” And if Biden remains the Democratic nominee, I believe Donald Trump will win.
“I believe Republicans will gain more seats in the House and win the Senate.”
McCarthy said the former president could count on his support.
“Is that confirmation?” asked Costa.
“I will support the president.” “I will support President Trump,” McCarthy replied.
On the possibility of serving in a Trump Cabinet, the former speaker said he would do so “in the right position” and if he was “the best person for the job.”
“Look, I worked with President Trump on a lot of policies.” “We worked together to win the majority,” he said, describing their relationship as one “where we are very honest with each other.”
McCarthy first took office in the House of Representatives in 2007 and quickly rose through the ranks. He won the speakership on the 15th ballot in January after facing continued opposition from some Republican hardliners.
The California lawmaker was ousted from his role as speaker in a historic turn of events when eight Republicans voted in favor of the resignation motion
The unprecedented ouster marked the first time the chamber voted out a speaker. McCarthy announced he would leave Congress entirely at the end of the month
However, his opponents' frustration grew amid debt ceiling negotiations with President Joe Biden.
Members of the House Freedom Caucus criticized McCarthy for agreeing to a plan that they said did not go far enough to rein in spending. Some called the compromise a “treason.”
The final straw was McCarthy's handling of the appropriations process as a government shutdown loomed.
With government funding set to expire at the end of September and zero spending legislation passed in the House of Commons, McCarthy decided to introduce a stopgap measure to extend government funding until mid-November.
Ultra-conservative members of the Republican caucus insisted they would not be afraid of a shutdown if necessary. The measure passed the House only because of Democratic support.
Days later, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz filed a motion to remove McCarthy from his position as speaker. The motion to table the bill or repeal it failed, leading to a vote on the motion to repeal it.
It passed with a final score of 216-210. After 269 days in office, McCarthy's term ended on October 3.
The California Republican said he realized he would be impeached only moments before the historic vote.
“I called my leadership team and said, 'We're not going to win this,'” he told in an exclusive interview last month. “And I told them, 'I'm not running again.'”
Throughout his tenure as speaker, McCarthy faced opposition from hard-line Republicans, but the straw that broke the camel's back was when he introduced a motion to prevent a government shutdown in September
Days later, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz filed a motion to resign, which passed by a vote of 216-210
After being relieved of his duties as speaker, McCarthy criticized the eight House Republicans who voted against him, accusing them of siding with Democrats and “disrupting the government.”
The Republicans who voted to remove McCarthy were Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Eli Crane of Arizona, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Bob Good of Virginia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Matt Rosendale Montana.
It was the first time in history that the chamber had voted out a speaker — and it was a victory for Gaetz, who filed the motion against McCarthy after months of threats and taunts.
On December 6, after McCarthy announced he was leaving Congress altogether, Gaetz quipped in a tweet, “McLeavin.”
The Republican majority in the House of Representatives will shrink to two after the expulsion of New York Rep. George Santos. The special election for this seat will take place on February 13th.
McCarthy told he doesn't need a “title” to continue representing the American public and helping the country “move forward.”
“One thing about me is I never give up,” McCarthy said.
“Everywhere I go, people come up to me and say, 'What happened to you isn't right,'” he said. “You know, you can’t look back. You have to look forward.'
He added: “I am very proud of what we have been able to achieve in such a short space of time.”
In an exclusive interview last month, McCarthy told that he doesn't need a “title” to continue representing the American public
McCarthy's successor, Louisiana Representative Mike Johnson, was elected unanimously after thirteen failed candidates and four votes
Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson was unanimously elected to replace McCarthy after 22 days, thirteen failed candidates, four nominees, and four elections.
Johnson, a father of four, entered Congress in 2017 and is serving his fourth term.
The Louisiana Republican is a staunch Trump supporter who has won the former president's support in his re-election bid since 2016 and has attended several rallies.
He refused to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election and took the lead in filing a lawsuit seeking to overturn Biden's victory. The congressman was also a member of Trump's impeachment defense team.
In his interview with , McCarthy advised Johnson on the best way to run the GOP conference, stating, “Get a psychiatrist for a lot of these members.”