Former President Donald Trump said his relationship with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy remains intact after leaked audio revealed that Mr. McCarthy privately sought to push Mr. Trump to resign in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.
The California Republican, favored to become the next House Speaker should the GOP win control of the Chamber in the upcoming midterm elections, immediately sought to shore up support within the Republican Party and contain the blowback from the reporting which began to surface mid-week.
By late Friday, Mr. Trump told The Wall Street Journal that while he was displeased with Mr. McCarthy’s comments in the recording, the two have had a “very good relationship.”
“I like him,” Mr. Trump said in an interview Friday with The Wall Street Journal. “And other than that brief period of time, I suspect he likes me quite a bit.”
Mr. McCarthy initially denied a New York Times report on Thursday that detailed phone conversations he had with fellow Republican lawmakers days after the Capitol attack in which he expressed outrage for the events and inquired about invoking the 25th Amendment in a call with several top House Republicans two days after the riot before determining that it would not be a viable option.
On Jan. 10, 2021, Mr. McCarthy told party leaders that he planned to tell Mr. Trump that the impeachment resolution brought against the president in the House would likely pass and that he “should resign,” though he acknowledged to the group that it was unlikely that Mr. Trump would heed his advice, according to the report. The conversation between Mr. McCarthy and the former president ultimately did not occur.
Soon after the article was published, Mr. McCarthy issued a statement calling the reporting “totally false and wrong,” and reiterated his allegiance to Mr. Trump.
Later Thursday, the New York Times released an audio recording confirming the reporting.
Mr. McCarthy spoke with Mr. Trump by phone Thursday night in an attempt to smooth things over and was given a pass by Mr. Trump, according to The Washington Post.
But further audio was released on Friday.
In one recording released Friday, Mr. McCarthy is heard saying “I’ve had it with this guy,” referring to Mr. Trump, in a private meeting with Republican lawmakers in which he said Mr. Trump accepted some responsibility for the storming of the Capitol.
Mr. Trump denied claiming any responsibility for the attack in his interview with the Wall Street Journal.
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The New York Times reporters behind the reporting, Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin, say they are sitting on more audio from the period which could further damage Mr. McCarthy politically.
Mr. Trump continues to wield significant pull in the Republican Party, and Mr. McCarthy has worked to remain in his good graces as he vies for the speakership.
Some within the Republican Party began throwing barbs at Mr. McCarthy soon after the audio was released.
“While I was rallying in Wyoming against Liz Cheney … Kevin McCarthy was defending Liz Cheney among House Republicans,” Rep. Matt Gaetz, Florida Republican, said on Twitter. “@GOPLeader - you should have trusted my instincts, not your own.”
Others in the GOP have given Mr. McCarthy the benefit of the doubt, and Mr. Trump said the dust has settled.
“He made a call. I heard the call. I didn’t like the call,” Mr. Trump told The Wall Street Journal. But he said Mr. McCarthy quickly renewed his support after “finding out the facts.”
“I think it’s all a big compliment, frankly,” Mr. Trump said.
-Seth McLaughlin contributed to this story.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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