Speaker Kevin McCarthy was in deep doo doo with cult leader Donald Trump after daring to admit he didn't know if Trump was the GOP's strongest candidate. And the flimsy lawmaker immediately regretted it, calling the twice-indicted ex-prez to beg for forgiveness.
No matter that McCarthy said in the same CNBC interview that he did think Trump could beat President Biden (see video below, posted by Meidas Touch). No matter that he said "Trump's policies are better" than Biden's. No matter that he said that Trump's lawsuits could be a good thing. The fact that McCarthy said "I don't know that answer" about Trump's chances of winning infuriated the MAGA base — and that, in turn, spurred the trembling puppet into action. He immediately phoned Trump to apologize.
From Politico:
Trump world flipped out. Top aides to the former president and allies who know both men quickly traded messages asking, in short: What the fuck?
Some called McCarthy a "moron." Others looked to Trump campaign hand Brian Jack, who also advises the speaker and has been a critical bridge between both men, to play mediator as Trump hit the trail in New Hampshire.
McCarthy immediately pivoted into clean-up mode. He called Trump to apologize, according to the New York Times. He offered Breitbart reporter Matt Boyle an exclusive interview, during which he walked the comments back and accused the media of taking them out of context.
"Trump is stronger today than he was in 2016," McCarthy told Boyle.
None of these moves assuaged the fury in Trump's inner circle, people familiar with the matter told POLITICO. McCarthy, they feel, has taken advantage of the former president when it benefits him and failed to show unflinching loyalty in return. They don't understand how he could "misspeak" — as McCarthy, we're told, put it to Trump — on something so critical.
