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Thursday 28 april 2022
Continued on next page "He's got my support. He's
But the detractors ap- got everybody else's sup-
peared to be in a dwindling port, too," he said.
minority as rank-and-file Still, Gaetz and other de-
lawmakers rallied around tractors remain a force Mc-
McCarthy, the man who Carthy must contend with,
recruited many of them to much like the lawmakers six
Congress and is now raising years ago who denied him
untold millions to help them backing to become speak-
win back the House major- er. He abruptly dropped
ity. out of the race.
"You guys obsess over Janu- Gaetz tweeted late Tues-
ary 6. Nobody cares," Rep. day that the private com-
Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., ments from McCarthy and
told a gaggle of reporters Rep. Steve Scalise, the No.
outside House GOP head- 2 Republican leader, to
quarters. "It's history." Cheney and others are "the
A California Republican behavior of weak men, not
long eyeing the speaker's leaders." He brushed off in-
gavel, McCarthy is at a House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks to reporters at his weekly news confer- terviews Tuesday night and
critical juncture as he works ence, at the Capitol in Washington, March 18, 2022. Wednesday morning.
to ascend to the top lead- Associated Press Among past rivals for the
ership position. It will be his speaker's gavels, Scalise of
second try after a failed tion victory. The House committee in- so. The Times did not report Louisiana is no longer out-
2015 bid — but one now In the recordings, McCar- vestigating Jan. 6 is seeking that he asked Trump to re- wardly chasing McCarthy
fully dependent on his vola- thy is heard telling Republi- an interview with him. sign, only that he told Rep. for the job, and has in fact
tile relationship with Trump, cans privately that he was On Wednesday, McCarthy Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and become wrapped in the
who still holds great influ- considering asking Trump stood at party headquar- other members he would. Jan. 6 fallout.
ence over the party and to resign. In another record- ters and defended his ac- As president, Trump had af- Scalise also faced ques-
can make and break ca- ing released late Tuesday, tions, suggesting he was fectionately referred to Mc- tions Wednesday in the
reers. McCarthy warns that dan- merely running through Carthy as "My Kevin," one private meeting after the
New audio recordings re- gerous public commentary possible scenarios as Dem- of his earliest endorsers, but Times had reported that
leased in recent days by from Gaetz and others is ocrats moved to impeach their relationship has frayed he joined McCarthy in rais-
The New York Times portray "putting people in jeopar- Trump in the aftermath of over time. McCarthy mo- ing concerns about Gaetz's
McCarthy as fed up with dy" of potential violence. the violent siege. mentarily turned on Trump public comments at the
Trump in the aftermath of McCarthy has denied The In the GOP meeting, Mc- as his supporters stormed time, Republicans said.
the Capitol attack, when New York Times account of Carthy clearly stated that the Capitol on Jan. 6 to dis- Scalise said the call had
the defeated president ral- events, leading Democrats he never asked the presi- rupt certification of Biden's been a private conversa-
lied his supporters to head and others to call him a liar, dent to resign, the Repub- 2020 presidential win. tion, and no one had been
to Congress and object to as audio of the secretly re- licans said. He has also In the days after the riot, accused of anything.
Democrat Joe Biden's elec- corded calls was released. publicly said he did not do it seemed Republicans in In a statement, Scalise said
Washington might part "it's pathetic" that this is
ways with Trump. Senate what the media chooses
Republican Leader Mitch to cover. He said with infla-
McConnell gave blistering tion, crime and other issues,
speeches against Trump, it's obvious that Democrats
and McCarthy's public and the media "continue
and private conversations to double down on their
at that time show flashes obsession with January 6th"
of anger and the depth of to distract public attention
angst over the shocking, from "the absolutely dismal
devastating riot by Trump state of the country."
supporters. Yet other Republicans re-
But once Biden took office mained noncommittal
McCarthy quickly went to about McCarthy. Asked
Trump's Mar-a-Lago club if he still has the votes to
in Florida to patch things be the party leader, Rep.
up with the defeated presi- Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said,
dent. "Time will tell."
Trump and McCarthy From the Democratic side,
spoke last week, and the Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of
former president told the New York, the caucus
leader he was "not mad" chairman who is also seen
about the disclosures. as a potential speaker can-
To become speaker if Re- didate if Democrats retain
publicans win back the control, dismissed the Re-
House, McCarthy would publican strategy for win-
need to win at least 218 ning back the House as
votes. "President Trump said nothing but lies.
their relationship has never "Every day it's a five-point
been stronger. That's good playbook: Number one, lie.
enough for me," said Rog- Number two, lie. Number
er Williams, R-Texas. "We're three, lie. Number four, lie.
totally supportive of Kevin Number five, lie again," he
McCarthy." said.q