- Rep. McCarthy said he will consider his next career moves over the holidays
- Suggested he might not seek re-election to his seat in the House of Representatives next year
- Comes after he went from being the most powerful Republican to a rank-and-file member when he was ousted from his chairman’s seat
The future of Kevin McCarthy’s political career remains in limbo as the former Speaker of the House of Representatives faces doubts about his bid for re-election to Congress following his embarrassing resignation last month.
Rep. McCarthy (R-Calif.) told CNN that he will consider over the holidays whether he will remain in Congress next year when his term ends.
It comes during an interview in which he also railed against the man who initiated his impeachment: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), calling him a “TV congressman.”
McCarthy said he wanted to remain in office to help with the transition of new House Speaker Mike Johnson and provide any resources and assistance needed as he takes over his previous role.
‘I’m on holiday – I’ll talk to my family about the ideas of what we want in the future. And I will make a decision,” McCarthy told CNN’s Manu Raju for Sunday’s Inside Politics program.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said in an interview broadcast Sunday that he will consider his next steps over the holidays — suggesting he may not run for re-election to his House seat.
“There are so many ways you can do that to make sure you get the job done,” he added. “And I’m going to look at all options.”
It is not clear whether McCarthy would relinquish public office altogether or seek another office outside the House of Congress.
McCarthy also accused fellow Republican Rep. Gaetz of launching his resignation as Speaker of the House of Representatives in an effort to gain more airtime through the process.
Gaetz filed a motion to evict last month, which was ultimately successful in removing McCarthy from the gavel in early October. This led to weeks of drama-filled elections for the new leader of the House of Representatives.
Ultimately, Rep. Johnson (La.) chosen after several others failed to make their bids.
Gaetz insists his motion was motivated by the fact that McCarthy “toiled” for Democrats during negotiations to prevent a government shutdown. He claims that McCarthy has not kept his promises as chairman.
Speaking to CNN’s Manu Raju, McCarthy responds that the real reason is that Gaetz was only thinking of himself.
“Matt’s goal was to become a TV congressman,” McCarthy said in the pre-recorded interview.
Rep. McCarthy said his impeachment launched by fellow Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz (pictured) was a selfish act to achieve his goal of being a “TV Congressman”
He insisted that the Florida congressman himself said he wanted to “be known as ‘the TV congressman.’
“I think Congress is too important and the issues are too big to focus on such small things that Matt is trying to do,” the Republican congressman added. “It’s more divisive — and self-centered.”
More of McCarthy’s interview will air Sunday morning on CNN’s Inside Politics.
Raju said that when Gaetz was reached for response to McCarthy’s comments, he said only, “Thoughts and prayers for the former chairman as he processes his grief.”
McCarthy was demoted from the most powerful Republican in Washington to a regular member of Congress in a matter of minutes. It came after eight members of his own party voted him out on October 3.
Along with Gaetz, Donald Trump’s ally, the others who voted McCarthy out of his chairman’s post were Reps. Andy Biggs and Eli Crane of Arizona, Ken Buck (Colo.), Tim Burchett (Tenn.), Bob Good (Va.), Nancy Mane (SC) and Matt Rosendale (Mon.).
McCarthy initially needed 15 votes to become chairman when Republicans gained a narrow majority in the House after the 2022 midterm elections.
Part of his negotiations to become speaker included McCarthy agreeing that a single member of the party could make a motion to remove him from the top congressional post.