McCarthy Would Entertain Return As Speaker In GOP Deadlock

Ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) isn’t ruling out a return to his old post if the House Republican Conference is deadlocked on a replacement.

In a Monday interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, McCarthy – who lost his job as Speaker last week after eight House Republicans joined with Democrats, teased a return to the job.

“Look, the conference has to make that decision. I’m still a member. I’m going to continue to fight and act,” said McCarthy.

When Hewitt asked again what McCarthy would do if the eight GOP members who opposed him retreated, the former Speaker kept the door open.

“Look, whatever the conference wants, I will do,” he said, adding “I think we need to be strong. I think we need to be united. The eight, in my view, don’t look to be — it was a personal thing.”

He expressed frustration with the Republicans who voted against a GOP-only stopgap proposal. The party’s repeated failure to pass a temporary funding bill that included spending cuts and policy provisions prompted McCarthy to pass a “clean” stopgap to avoid a government shutdown, infuriating the hard-line GOP members who then voted to oust him. -The Hill

“They’re the ones who wanted a government shutdown,” McCarthy said of the GOP holdouts. “We wouldn’t be paying our troops while we’re putting out a carrier strike fighter there – 30,000 American men and women in our armed services in the Middle East wouldn’t be being paid right now? I mean, what weakness would we be at?”

It’s very clear from this news conference that McCarthy wants to be speaker again. He says he’ll let the conference decide who unites them. He isn’t directly addressing what he would do if nominating, saying it’s a decision for the conference.

Many of McCarthy’s allies have…

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 9, 2023

On Friday, McCarthy refuted a Politico report that he planned to resign before the end of his term.

“No, I’m not resigning. I’m staying, so don’t worry,” McCarthy told reporters on Friday, adding “We’re going to keep the majority, I’m going to help the people I got here and we’re going to expand it.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) are the current frontrunners to replace McCarthy as Speaker.

The House GOP will hold a candidate forum Tuesday, and an internal conference election Wednesday.