The now deposed speaker didn’t turn to the ex-president for help.
McCarthy’s decision not to ask Trump for a hand was driven by the belief that he didn’t have the political capital to make the request, said one Republican familiar with McCarthy’s thinking. | Francis Chung/POLITICOWith his speakership in the balance on Tuesday, Kevin McCarthy made a last-ditch effort to convince fellow Republicans there was virtue in him keeping the gavel. But he didn’t reach out to the most powerful member of his party.
McCarthy’s decision not to ask Trump for a hand was driven by the belief that he didn’t have the political capital to make the request, said one Republican familiar with the thinking. While Trump had demanded that Republicans shut down the government if they didn’t get major spending cuts, McCarthy had forged a deal only to fund the government at current spending levels for 45 days.
Inside Trump world, there was also a belief that little would be gained by getting too heavily involved in the drama. Rep. Matt Gaetz — the chief Republican behind McCarthy’s ouster — said that he spoke with the former president. But details on what was actually discussed were scant and Trump’s team declined to elaborate on them.
“It’s a relationship that ebbed and flowed — but it was a productive relationship for House Republicans writ large,” said a senior Republican official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe McCarthy and Trump’s relationship.
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