McCarthy says he ‘couldn’t live’ with himself if he dealt with Democrats to save the presidency

Former president Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) reflected on the end of his term as president Thursday while lashing out at Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), saying he “couldn’t live” with himself if he he made a deal with the Democrats to retain his mandate. job.

McCarthy was ousted from the presidency in October after eight Republicans, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), supported a resignation motion, alongside all Democrats. McCarthy said he then refused to work with Democrats to save his job, saying their price was too high.

“I couldn’t live with myself if I had made a deal with the Democrats,” he said during an appearance on Político’s “Power Play” podcast. “If you can’t remain president of your own majority, should you keep it? No.”

Democrats backed Johnson in a late-night vote to reject a motion to overturn introduced Wednesday by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), citing his actions in advancing a foreign spending bill which irritated some conservatives.

Despite the agreement, McCarthy said opposing Greene’s motion was the right decision.

“It’s different from a Matt Gaetz,” McCarthy said of Greene’s ouster attempt. “She wants to have a political discussion.”

He added that he did not support the motion to overturn the power itself, and said Johnson’s leadership was “not as productive” because of Greene’s attempt.

“The motion to resign does not allow a president to be president, and that is necessary, otherwise we have a coalition government as it seems to have today and it is not as productive,” he said. -he adds.

Despite his denunciation of bipartisan deals, Gaetz cited McCarthy’s own agreement with Democrats on the debt ceiling as a reason to impeach the former president last year. McCarthy said he viewed this deal differently because it involved legislation rather than House rules.

McCarthy maintained that his ouster was not over the debt ceiling deal, but rather a personal matter between him and Gaetz related to an ethics complaint against Gaetz, which McCarthy refused to close.

“If you wanted me to break the law and end the ethics complaint, I could still be speaker,” he said. “But I prefer to rely on the merit of doing what is right.”

Gaetz and McCarthy have been feuding for months since the former president’s impeachment. McCarthy, who has since resigned from Congress, supported Gaetz’s primary opponent and funded the primary opponents of those who voted against him.

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