Last month, he defended the Republican National Committee after it passed a resolution condemning Ms. Cheney and another Republican committee member on Jan. 6, Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois; the resolution stated that they were involved in the “persecution of ordinary citizens participating in legitimate political discussions.” In contrast, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, has criticized the party.
In private conversations with donors, Mr. McCarthy often doesn’t mention Mr. Trump as he makes an aggressive speech about the coming “red wave” and what the Republicans will do if they regain their majority.
But he is often asked if Mr. Trump is going to run for president.
Mr. McCarthy told donors that Mr. Trump has not yet made a decision and that he advised the former president to see if President Biden is running for re-election. Mr. McCarthy also frequently cites former members of the House of Representatives who he says could be serious presidential candidates, including Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina and Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida.
Capitol Riot Aftermath: Key Events
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Ivanka Trump. Former President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter, who was one of his senior advisers, is reportedly in talks with the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack about the possibility of sits on an interview with a panel.
Civil lawsuits. federal judge in Washington rules this three civil suits against Mr. Trump in connection with the attack on the Capitol on January 6 can move forward. The ruling means plaintiffs can ask the former president for information about his role in the events.
classified information. The National Archives stated that disclosed classified information among the documents that Mr. Trump took with him from the White House when he left office. The discovery raises new doubts about how the former president handled government documents.
On Capitol Hill, Mr. McCarthy’s main problem comes down to math. Leadership positions in the Chamber can be secured by a majority vote of the members of each party. But the speaker is a constitutional officer elected by the entire house, and therefore must receive a majority of at least 218 votes.
In 2015, after Speaker John A. Boehner was fired by the most conservative members of the House of Representatives, Mr. McCarthy, then Republican No. 2, became the heir apparent — and he ruined everything. His the biggest public crime was appearing on television in which he blurted out that the House of Representatives had set up a special committee to investigate the attack on the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, specifically to lower Hillary Clinton’s approval rating.
“I said repeatedly at the time that we needed a speaker who could speak,” recalled former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who challenged Mr. McCarthy for speaker after a gaffe.
Eventually, the Republicans hired Paul D. Ryan, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and former running mate for the job.