Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has credited former President Trump with his recent election as the next House Speaker.
In a CNN interview early Saturday morning, Rep. McCarthy stated: “I do want to especially thank President Trump. I don’t think anybody should doubt his influence. He was with me from the beginning… And he was all in. He would call me and he would call others.”
McCarthy went on to emphasize Trump’s message of unity and focus on issues such as the economy and border security.
During the voting process, Trump actively lobbied holdout lawmakers to support McCarthy’s bid, and many of the former president’s closest allies, such as Rep. Matt Gaetz, were members of the House Freedom Caucus who initially opposed McCarthy’s campaign.
Trump had previously urged House Republicans to back McCarthy or face the possibility of a worse speaker.
On Saturday, Trump took to social media to claim credit for McCarthy’s victory, stating: “I did the Country a big favor!” He also claimed that the “fake news” media was “very gracious” in reporting on his role in the outcome.
Trump posted articles from Fox News, the New York Post, and other right-wing sources highlighting McCarthy’s gratitude towards the former president after winning the speakership on the 15th round of voting.
