House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., insisted Thursday that he was not forced to abandon his quest to be the next House speaker because of a request that he and other candidates reveal any personal misdeeds before seeking that spot.
Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., wrote a letter this week asking members to reveal “any misdeeds” before asking Republicans to vote.
But when asked if that letter had any impact on his decision, McCarthy seemed to laugh it off.
“No,” he said with a smile. “C’mon.”
Instead, he said the GOP needs a “fresh face” to lead the party, and said the next speaker shouldn’t get there by winning a bare minimum number of GOP votes.
“If we’re going to be strong, we’re going to have to be 100 percent united,” he said.
He was also asked if his Benghazi gaffe might have played a role. Last week, McCarthy seemed to imply that the purpose of the Benghazi committee was to tear down Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
“Well, it wasn’t helpful,” he admitted.
“I have the deepest respect and regard for each Member of the Conference and our team as a whole,” McCarthy said in an official statement. “It is imperative for us to unite and work together on the challenges facing our country.”
“Over the last week it has become clear to me that our Conference is deeply divided and needs to unite behind one leader,” he added. “I have always put this conference ahead of myself. Therefore I am withdrawing my candidacy for Speaker of the House. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to help move our Conference’s agenda and our country forward.”
