New leaked audio of Kevin McCarthy criticizing right-wing House Republicans for their dangerous rhetoric might doom him to never be Speaker.
Representative Kevin McCarthy, the House Republican leader, feared in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack that several far-right members of Congress would incite violence against other lawmakers, identifying several by name as security risks in private conversations with party leaders.
Mr. McCarthy talked to other congressional Republicans about wanting to rein in multiple hard-liners who were deeply involved in Donald J. Trump’s efforts to contest the 2020 election and undermine the peaceful transfer of power, according to an audio recording obtained by The New York Times.
McCarthy was worried about the usual suspects. Reps. Boebert, Greene, Gaetz, and Gohmert among others. McCarthy knew that what they were doing was dangerous, but he did nothing.
In fact, he has attempted to sweep it all under the rug, because he is desperate to be the next Speaker of the House.
The reality is that the far-right already doesn’t like McCarthy, and if more audio comes out the more votes he could lose in his bid to become Speaker. The nightmare scenario for McCarthy is that House Republicans don’t get a landslide in November. Instead, they squeak into a small majority, and right-wing Republicans get their revenge by voting him down to be the next Speaker.
At some point, the far-right will take their revenge on Kevin McCarthy, and when they do, he will be doomed.
Mr. Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
