No Republican Should Be Surprised That Trump Endorsed Kevin McCarthy – Opinion

Trump’s former president endorsed Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader, for reelection. It is not surprising that Republicans should support McCarthy.

“In Congress, Kevin is a tireless advocate for the people of Bakersfield and the Central Valley. He is working incredibly hard to Stop Inflation, Deliver Water Solutions, and Hold Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi Accountable for their catastrophic failures and dereliction of duty,” Trump said in a Truth Social post, adding that “Kevin McCarthy has my Complete and Total Endorsement.”

The Hill notes that this comes after the congressman wanted Trump’s resignation immediately following the Jan. 6 riot, according to audio tapes released by the New York Times earlier this year.

As McCarthy never actually told Trump to step down, they’re all cool in the pool, Trump told the Wall Street Journal in April.

It is clear that, aside from the wide-ranging discussion that conservatives still have about Jan. 6th, it was a political move by the ex-president to endorse the California congressman. Some argue that McCarthy’s too milquetoast to be such a high-ranking Republican, and likely the next Speaker of the House, but there are multiple factors to consider.

For starters, McCarthy will not have a difficult time getting re-elected, as there’s no Republican or Democrat with significant enough name recognition running against him.

Trump would endorse a lesser-known candidate, which will only cause media frenzy and rifts within the Republican Party. There’s a chance that Trump and McCarthy could be working together in Washington again down the road, so it’s important for them to present a united front. Besides, Democrats already conflate McCarthy with Trump, so this endorsement will only help drive voter turnout for the congressman in Tuesday’s primary and bolster fundraising.

In addition, critics must consider the scope of McCarthy’s job. To keep his caucus united, he must cooperate with all members of the Big Tent. Of course, this leaves people on both ends of the spectrum upset, with the Never-Trumpers viewing him as another threat to democracy, and populists viewing him as a “RINO.” While he does get quite a bit of criticism, he usually walks away from these situations relatively unscathed, as there are few Republicans in Congress who would actually try to come after him. McCarthy holds a lot more power than the Congressional Republicans. Trump is aware of that.

Voters are entitled to their own opinions about the congressman, but Trump’s endorsement should not be upsetting or shocking. Despite possessing wildly different approaches to leadership, it’s only logical that they would collaborate given the former president’s influence and the minority leader’s fundraising skills.