House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he’s not concerned about losing the support of conservatives within his caucus despite some expressing frustrations with comments he made following the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
McCarthy, a California Republican who is vying to be the next speaker of the House if the GOP takes back the majority, pointed to Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan’s comments indicating he will continue to support him despite the recent controversy.
“No, [I’m not worried],” he said. “Did you ask Jim Jordan?”
Jordan, an Ohio Republican, said that he believes McCarthy is well positioned to obtain the role next Congress.
“I think President Trump is going to be the next president of the United States, and I think Kevin McCarthy is going to be the next speaker,” Jordan told NBC News.
MCCARTHY ADDRESSES LEAKED TAPES ABOUT TRUMP RESIGNATION REMARK ON BORDER TRIP
While Jordan is standing by McCarthy, former House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Biggs, an Arizona Republican, said McCarthy’s denial of remarks that he considered calling on former President Donald Trump to step down following the riot, which were later unveiled in an audio recording, creates “a huge, huge trust issue.”
“It’s incredibly undermining when we were back in the heat of that, and a lot of people may forget what a mere 16 months ago was like, but it was hot and heavy, and those of us who were trying to fight for truth and accuracy to come out and understanding that there was going to be an impeachment 10 days before President Trump is leaving office, and we have our leader that’s basically negotiating with Liz Cheney on whether he should encourage President Trump to resign or not becomes a huge, huge trust issue for me,” Biggs said on One America News on Tuesday.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, blasted both McCarthy and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, after a second New York Times report took aim at his rhetoric, with Scalise questioning the legality of his words in the wake of the attack on the Capitol.
“Rep. McCarthy and Rep. Scalise held views about President Trump and me that they shared on sniveling calls with Liz Cheney, not us,” Gaetz said in a statement. “This is the behavior of weak men, not leaders.”
