Former President Donald Trump’s frustration with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has reached new heights, with Trump expecting an endorsement from McCarthy, which he feels he deserves after supposedly playing a significant role in getting McCarthy his position as House Speaker. According to a recent report in Politico Playbook, Trump went on a tirade about McCarthy before a campaign event in New Hampshire, demanding that McCarthy endorse him immediately.
Despite Trump’s expectation of an endorsement, McCarthy has been cautious about publicly backing any candidate for the 2024 presidential race. Instead, he has reportedly attempted to appease Trump with private assurances of his support. Allegedly, in exchange for delaying his endorsement decision, McCarthy made a secret commitment to have the House vote to expunge Trump’s two impeachments. However, House Leadership has expressed concerns about the implications of such a vote, particularly for House members in purple districts. They fear that an impeachment expungement vote could harm the re-election prospects of some moderate Republicans.
One of the major hurdles in this potential vote is the slim five-seat majority that the GOP holds in the House. Many leading Republicans believe that an expungement vote would likely fail due to this narrow majority. An unnamed Senior Republican expressed his concerns, highlighting the strategic risks involved. He argued that if the vote were to fail, the media would likely treat it as a third impeachment, leading to a perception of disunity within the Republican ranks.
“I’m for Trump,” the Republican said. “The problem is: If you have an expungement, and it goes to the floor and fails — which it probably will — then the media will treat it like it’s a third impeachment, and it will show disunity among Republican ranks. It’s a huge strategic risk.”
Despite these concerns, Trump appears undeterred. He and his supporters are determined to hold McCarthy accountable for his alleged promise. While Trump recognizes that he cannot prevent the numerous expected indictments against him, he believes that the House has the power to wipe away the stain of impeachment from his name.
