Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) had numerous anecdotes to share Tuesday night.
He discussed his mother purchasing gas at Costco. He expressed grievances about Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.). He repeatedly criticized Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for ousting him. He admitted to privately seeking advice from then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), while publicly criticizing her. He drew a comparison between Vladimir Putin and Hitler.
Just hours after being the first House speaker ever removed from the position, McCarthy held a passionate, nearly hour-long press conference — at times defensive and confrontational with the gathered press, at times appearing relieved.
"I made history, didn't I?" he rhetorically asked.
It was the culmination of an unprecedented day that began with McCarthy's name hanging over the entrance to the speaker's suite and ended with him leaving his former office with a box in hand.
Shortly after McCarthy was ousted — led by Gaetz — the former speaker addressed his conference privately, informing them that he would not seek the speakership again. Several Republicans described his tone as calm and measured, commanding respect.
His opening statements to the press were equally deliberate. When he stuck to the prepared script in front of him, it lacked the usual jabs and bursts of enthusiasm that often punctuate his frequent interactions with the Capitol Hill press corps.
However, he cracked a smile for the first time while recounting his life story about winning the lottery and how those $5,000 went much further "before Biden economics."
"But do you want to know how the story ends?" McCarthy asked after recalling being denied an internship at his local congressman's office in Washington. "I ended up getting elected to the seat I couldn't secure an internship for. I eventually became the 55th speaker of the House. One of the greatest honors."
During the nearly 40-minute question-and-answer session, McCarthy's comments covered a wide range of topics — from the rise of Hitler in Germany to mentioning a well-known Italian restaurant in Washington four times when discussing House Republicans' newly launched impeachment inquiry. His staff had to yell "last question" twice to no avail. For those who regularly cover McCarthy, it was not unusual to see him answer every question in the room. However, it only happens when he feels at ease and enjoys the back-and-forth.
Without the constraints of the speakership, McCarthy declared something he would not have said while serving as speaker: that the House as an institution is dysfunctional. He blamed Democrats for it — although Democrats pointed to his own politicized behavior as the reason they did not save him on Tuesday. He revealed for the first time that he had asked then-Speaker Pelosi for advice on whether he should change the House rules to allow one person to trigger a motion to remove him from the speakership. He claimed Pelosi assured him she would support him if his conference attempted to oust him. Pelosi was not present at the Capitol on Tuesday, and her office did not confirm the accuracy of McCarthy's story.
He took another opportunity to criticize Democrats: "They played so many political games."
However, he returned to criticizing the eight Republicans responsible for his removal, attributing blame to them for his "fear" that "the institution fell today."
When asked what he should have done differently in handling those eight individuals, McCarthy bluntly stated, "I probably should have chosen someone else since I helped many of them get elected." He chuckled.
Known for his ability to raise substantial funds and pressed on whether he would break his promise to not intervene in his opponents' primaries, McCarthy cautioned, "I told the conference that I am now a free agent, and I believe I am quite skilled at electing individuals."
He hinted at some regret for allowing the rule that only one person could bring a motion to remove him, a concession he made during his 15-round battle to secure the speakership that ultimately ended his tenure.
He cautioned that the "one thing he is certain of" is that the "nation is too extraordinary for narrow-minded visions of those eight" who ultimately removed him from power.
"They cannot claim to be conservatives just because they are angry and chaotic. That is not what the party represents," he asserted. "They are not true conservatives, and they do not deserve to hold that title."
His suggestion for the next speaker? "Alter the regulations," he chuckled.
After asserting that Gaetz's grievances against him were "personal," McCarthy proceeded to criticize Gaetz, repeatedly highlighting him as a distraction who devoted excessive time to fundraising for personal gain rather than fulfilling his duties as a legislator.
"I am certain that Matt Gaetz will make generous contributions to the NRCC," McCarthy taunted.
He expressed being "taken aback" by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) voting against him, as he considered Burchett a friend. However, he also reprimanded Burchett for what he perceived as misinterpretation of a phone call McCarthy had with him after Burchett publicly announced that he was praying to make the right decision on whether to vote against McCarthy.
However, there was little indication of remorse for how he arrived at Tuesday night — engaging with reporters as a regular member of Congress for the first time in over a decade. When a reporter began a question with "do you regret —" McCarthy interrupted. "I don't think you've asked a positive question yet," he jeered. "But I remain hopeful. This will be interesting!"
He blamed far-right conservatives for his removal, but did not delve into how he empowered them. When pressed about unfulfilled promises he made throughout the year, McCarthy became defensive.
"Which promise did I break? Name one thing I failed to deliver on," McCarthy challenged.
While McCarthy reflected on his own career, he revealed little about his future in politics. In the immediate future, McCarthy coyly responded to his Republican colleagues' hopes for him to select a successor.
"Perhaps, perhaps. I don't know who is running," he replied. "I will have discussions with people."
When asked if he would resign from his position like recent Republican speakers, McCarthy admitted he had not yet considered it.
He concluded the evening with one final dig at the press.
"Well, I appreciate your presence. I'm not sure if you'll cover me as extensively, but I'm confident that I won't miss you," he remarked, tapping his folder on the lectern before walking away.
"They cannot claim to be conservatives just because they are angry and chaotic. That is not what the party represents," he asserted. "They are not true conservatives, and they do not deserve to hold that title."
His suggestion for the next speaker? "Alter the regulations," he chuckled.
After asserting that Gaetz's grievances against him were "personal," McCarthy proceeded to criticize Gaetz, repeatedly highlighting him as a distraction who devoted excessive time to fundraising for personal gain rather than fulfilling his duties as a legislator.
"I am certain that Matt Gaetz will make generous contributions to the NRCC," McCarthy taunted.
He expressed being "taken aback" by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) voting against him, as he considered Burchett a friend. However, he also reprimanded Burchett for what he perceived as misinterpretation of a phone call McCarthy had with him after Burchett publicly announced that he was praying to make the right decision on whether to vote against McCarthy.
However, there was little indication of remorse for how he arrived at Tuesday night — engaging with reporters as a regular member of Congress for the first time in over a decade. When a reporter began a question with "do you regret —" McCarthy interrupted. "I don't think you've asked a positive question yet," he jeered. "But I remain hopeful. This will be interesting!"
He blamed far-right conservatives for his removal, but did not delve into how he empowered them. When pressed about unfulfilled promises he made throughout the year, McCarthy became defensive.
"Which promise did I break? Name one thing I failed to deliver on," McCarthy challenged.
While McCarthy reflected on his own career, he revealed little about his future in politics. In the immediate future, McCarthy coyly responded to his Republican colleagues' hopes for him to select a successor.
"Perhaps, perhaps. I don't know who is running," he replied. "I will have discussions with people."
When asked if he would resign from his position like recent Republican speakers, McCarthy admitted he had not yet considered it.
He concluded the evening with one final dig at the press.
"Well, I appreciate your presence. I'm not sure if you'll cover me as extensively, but I'm confident that I won't miss you," he remarked, tapping his folder on the lectern before walking away.
