Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy Mulls Whether to Run for Reelection

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Facts

  • Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) revealed in an exclusive interview with CNN that he may not run for reelection in 2024 after the unprecedented loss of his speakership, adding that a final decision will be made after discussing the matter with his family during the holidays.1
  • This statement to Manu Raju, aired on Sunday, comes a month after McCarthy insisted that he was planning to be on the ballot in 2024, dismissing reports from Politico that he was mulling not to enter the race for his House seat representing California's 20th congressional district.2
  • The most recent Republican House speakers before McCarthy retired from Congress after giving up the speakership. While John Boehner (R-Ohio) resigned amid an intra-party mutiny in 2015, Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) opted not to seek reelection in 2018.3
  • If the California Republican serving in one of the few safely red districts in an otherwise deep blue state decides to run for reelection, he would have to file his candidacy ahead of the upcoming Dec. 8 deadline for prospective candidates.4
  • Late last month, business owner and self-styled America First Republican David Giglio announced a primary challenge against McCarthy, who has been easily reelected to the House in multiple recent races.5
  • During the interview, McCarthy also criticized the eight House Republicans who voted to unseat him as speaker, saying that they weren't conservatives. He claimed that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) led the effort to unseat McCarthy because of ethics complaints against Gaetz himself.6

Sources: 1CNN, 2Politico, 3New York Post, 4Newsmax, 5USA Today and 6Washington Examiner.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by The Gateway Pundit. If someone still had any doubts over why McCarthy was ousted, this interview has unequivocally demonstrated his inability to hold the gavel — and even to seat in Congress. He appears not to understand that he was fired because he failed to align with what the GOP base instructs and make good on his promises while spending taxpayers' money.
  • Narrative B, as provided by American Spectator. While McCarthy isn't irreplaceable, his potential retirement from Congress is another indication that the era when the GOP valued its diversity and embraced good-faith disagreements may be gone forever. Matt Gaetz and his Gang of Eight are willing to push the Republican conference to the extremes, even if that means risking the implosion of the party and losing control of the House.

Predictions