McCarthy Tells New Speaker Johnson Not To Be Afraid

Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) first interview since he was ousted from his speakership position in October was not only about his endorsement of former President Donald Trump. During the conversation with CBS News, he also sent out words of advice to his successor Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).

Retiring McCarthy Gives Parting Advice To Speaker Johnson https://t.co/ihTQfvqNor

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“I think the best advice I could give to him: you’re the speaker of the House. Do not — do not govern in the idea that you’re afraid somebody’s going to make a motion to vacate,” he stated.

“When I made the decision to pay our troops and not shut down, I knew they were going to make a motion to vacate on me. I didn’t even know the Democrats would go along with it. But what I did know is, I had been in that room before. I had watched what had failed,” he added.

He went further, “And I knew, at that moment, that when I thought before I ran for office, you would always tell yourself, would you do what you think was right? Would you literally risk your job and do it? You say you would, but when you came to that moment, I hope history writes that I actually did what I said I would do before I ever got elected when that moment came.”

McCarthy then went further to maintain that he “would do it all again” because he believes his decisions as a speaker were “right.”

The California lawmaker’s remarks come a few days after he announced his decision to retire from the House by the end of this year.

“I have decided to depart the House at the end of this year to serve America in new ways. I know my work is only getting started,” he stated.

McCarthy was voted out of the speakership role in a collaborative effort by Democrats and a group of Republicans led by Rep. Matt Gaez (R-FL). Gaetz had filed a “motion to vacate the chair” after the House under McCarthy’s leadership, passed a short-term spending bill to stop a government shutdown.

Gaetz’s move was made possible by a concession McCarthy made before securing the speakership role in January.

The concession allowed any single member of the House to bring forward a motion for the speaker to vacate his position.