Spokesman Kevin McCarthy said he doesn’t think people should protest if President Trump is arrested on Tuesday, but defended the former president who recently called for public outrage.
“I don’t think people should protest about it, no,” the California Republican told reporters on day one of the House of Representatives GOP retreat in Orlando, Fla. ‘I think President Trump, when you talk to him, he doesn’t believe that either.’
McCarthy then suggested Trump’s words had been “misinterpreted” and that he was just “trying to enlighten people as to what’s going on.”
Trump previously claimed on his Truth Social platform that he expects to be arrested as early as Tuesday when he specifically urged his supporters to “protest to take back our nation.”
“I don’t think people should protest about it, no,” the California Republican told reporters on day one of the House of Representatives GOP retreat in Orlando, Fla
“He doesn’t speak in a harmful way, and no one should harm one another if that were to happen,” McCarthy said, adding that he has not spoken to the former president since his exposure.
“If that should happen, we want peace out there.”
Trump said he expects to be arrested this week on New York State charges related to a payment he made ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Prosecutors argue that he violated a New York law prohibiting the falsification of business records by marking a $130,000 payment to Daniels as “legal expenses.”
“He doesn’t speak in a harmful way, and no one should harm one another if that were to happen,” McCarthy said, adding that he has not spoken to the former president since his exposure.
Trump could be accused of falsifying business records related to payments to his former attorney Michael Cohen, who was serving a prison sentence after pleading guilty to using campaign funds in relation to Daniels.
The former president could also face electoral law violations.
Asked if Trump should push his run in 2024 if convicted of a crime, McCarthy repeatedly said, “The Constitution allows him to.”
McCarthy said any attorney would conclude that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against Trump was the “weakest case out there.” He said the charges “won’t stand up in court”.
McCarthy told Bragg, “Stop stalking people for having political differences.”
“This state is becoming more populated because of this Manhattan DA’s office,” McCarthy said. He called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis an “amazing governor.”
Asked if DeSantis called the war between Russia and Ukraine a “territorial dispute” that the US shouldn’t be involved in, McCarthy said, “I’m really worried about the aggression or Russia.”
McCarthy promised “action” by the Armament Subcommittee, which examines whether federal funds have been used to impeach Trump.
The remark came as the House Republicans conference convened in Florida to discuss their agenda for the future.
McCarthy noted that the House of Representatives has passed 35 bills at this convention so far, and 30 of them have received Democratic votes. However, many of these bills will never see the light of day in the Democrat-led Senate.
He lobbied for Republican moves to reopen the House of Representatives to the public, remove the vaccination mandate for military personnel, set up committees to investigate China and arm the government.
“House Republicans have Democrats to defend this Congress,” said GOP Whip Tom Emmer.
“Republicans were on the offensive,” he added. “We work as a team.”
McCarthy also touted his relationship with his Democratic counterpart, Hakeem Jeffries. It’s a seemingly closer relationship than with former spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi.
“I had no relationship with Hakeem before he became a leader, but I will work hard to treat him the way I thought any minority leader should be treated,” McCarthy said.
“I should have done it,” he added in a veiled shot at Pelosi. ‘I take it [Jeffries] on many different subjects.’
McCarthy said he and Jeffries were sitting with the China competition select committee and asking them to work bipartisanly.
Commenting on the new China-brokered Saudi Arabia-Iran deal, the speaker said, “That used to be America’s role.”
The spokesman also announced steps to “cleanse up” the Intel committee, which he said has “been the impeachment committee for too long.”
When asked if the GOP-led house had an obligation to act after the collapse of the Silicon Valley bank, McCarthy largely blamed inflation.
“I don’t think it’s a regulatory issue,” McCarthy said, adding that the “real culprit” is spending.
He said the Financial Services Committee will hold hearings to get to the bottom of the matter. “Did California regulators miss something? I think we’re going to have a lot of questions for Gov. Gavin Newsom on that as well,” he said.