Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) took to the stage at the New York Times’s DealBook Summit on Wednesday, dissing his own Republican Party and revealing that Joe Biden spoke from cue cards during their private meetings.
“I look over at the Democrats and they stand up – they look like America. We stand up – we look like the most restrictive country club in America,” said the former Speaker. He went on to claim the Republican Party in a state of decline before he was in charge.
On Biden.
While discussing debt ceiling negotiations, the California Republican recalled seeing the impact advanced age has had on Joe Biden.
“He’s not the same person he was when he was Vice President,” McCarthy said, adding: “He has good staff. He has staff that is very professional.” When pressed by Ross Sorkin regarding his allusion to the age of the President, McCarthy responded: “I’m not alluding. He is old!”
“I don’t see any slowing in Trump,” McCarthy continued. “That guy works 24 hours a day. You might not always like his decisions at the end of the day but he works.”
“With Biden, I did not negotiate the debt ceiling with Biden. I could not negotiate the debt ceiling with Biden.” Elaborating further, McCarthy said complex policy discussions were too difficult for the President, exclaiming that in meetings with lawmakers Biden “talked from cards.”
On Trump and 2024.
Looking towards 2024, the former House Speaker was blunt, “I believe President Trump will be our nominee and I believe President Trump will get reelected.” When asked who Trump should select to be his Vice-President, McCarthy suggested former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, musing she could help bring home Republicans who are hesitant to back Trump again.
Regarding his relationship with Trump, McCarthy all was ‘good’ between them. “The interesting thing is, you know, we have been together for a long time. There’s times we’ll disagree, but we always do it in private.”
“That’s a healthy relationship, that you can tell one another what you think and what you’re able to go do, and we don’t air it on the outside. It only makes our relationship stronger,” McCarthy added.