Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Sunday weighed in on why he has not endorsed former President Donald Trump as his preferred Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election.
“Well, the campaign is still going,” McCarthy told NBC’s “Meet The Press.” “There’s a very good chance I would endorse President Trump.”
Pressed by NBC’s Kristen Welker on what is keeping him from backing the former president and clear Republican front-runner, McCarthy said he has other priorities at the moment.
“Because I’ve got a Southern border wide open, I have war in the Middle East, I’ve got things I’m focused on right now,” McCarthy said. “I believe President Trump will be our nominee. And I believe President Trump will get reelected.”
Trump continues to dominate the Republican primary field, leading Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who remains second, by over 40 points, according to an average of polls compiled by FiveThirtyEight.
Meanwhile, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley appears to be gaining traction. The editorial board of The Post and Courier in South Carolina on Saturday called on other Republican candidates to drop out, arguing that Haley has the best chance of beating Trump in the primary.
In the past, McCarthy has tried to appease Trump at every opportunity. He voted against certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win, and did not oppose Trump’s endorsements for House candidates in 2022, which were based on their affinity for his election lies; many went on to lose their general elections. But Trump, who is highly influential with the House GOP, did nothing to save McCarthy’s speakership earlier this month.
McCarthy was removed after eight Republicans and all present Democrats voted in support of a motion to vacate introduced by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).
Following McCarthy’s removal from the job, House Republicans have failed to coalesce around a candidate to take over.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) ended his bid Friday after he failed to garner enough support in three rounds of voting on the House floor. A majority of Republicans voted against keeping him as their nominee.
Now, nine Republicans, including GOP Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), are vying for the speaker’s gavel. While McCarthy has endorsed Emmer, Trump’s allies in the media have voiced opposition to the prospect of him leading the House GOP caucus because Emmer voted to certify Biden’s 2020 election victory.
McCarthy is not ruling out another run for speaker if Emmer’s candidacy fails.
“I’m still a member of Congress, and I’m going to lead in any capacity to protect America,” he said on “Meet The Press.”