Kevin McCarthy teaches that you can get on fire if you want to make everyone happy, especially after an uprising.
Why it matters: The Republican leader of the House had hoped to use this year to take the majority in 2022, but his efforts to bridge divisions between parties over the siege of Capitol led him to take heat from all directions, and that he his stature both among the public and within his party.
The latest proof: McCarthy’s digital director, Caleb Smith, sent an email to a group of GOP communications staff on Saturday afternoon asking them to show their support for his boss.
- The subject line reads: “{GOP-New-Media} Retweet Request”, according to a copy of the email Axios received.
- Smith wrote: “HuffPost and the Blue Checks are today twisting the words of Leader McCarthy in full force in an effort to divide America even further. It deserves to be called out. Would appreciate your help in pushing back by tweeting it again: https://twitter.com/GOPLeader/status/1353057765015449610. “
What they say: “We’re not eating breakfast, lunch and dinner right now,” a McCarthy assistant told Axios. The assistant asked anonymity to speak openly about the situation of his boss.
Pressure is mounting on McCarthy financially, politically and publicly.
- Corporate donors froze him because he challenged the Electoral College on January 6th.
- The media confesses to him that he initially said ‘the president bears responsibility’ for the attack on the Capitol, but changed last week to say: ‘I do not believe he provoked it if you listen to what he said during the protest not.’
- McCarthy also received a beating because he said during an interview over the weekend that “everyone” is responsible for the political temperature in the country.
- Meanwhile, the pro-Trump wing of his conference is angry with him for not rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) Strongly condemned after she voted to accuse Trump.
Send the news: McCarthy explained his comments during an interview with Van Susteren on Thursday. He also showed limitations to his support for Cheney, the conference chairman and Republican no. 3.
- “Look, I support her, but I’m worried too,” he said, adding that there are “many questions” she needs to discuss during a conference meeting later this week.