Donald Trump has been laser-focused on his thirst for vengeance during his campaign for president, threatening to indict his political opponents and even going so far as to say he would act as “a dictator” on his first day back in the White House should he win the 2024 election. But former House speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, isn’t worried about that because he says Trump will change his mind once he has all the “facts” — as if that’s ever worked before.
Journalist Robert Costa asked McCarthy about Trump in an interview that aired on CBS Sunday Morning, during which the former speaker endorsed Trump for president.
“You say [Trump is] a good guy,” Costa said to McCarthy. “But many Americans, they look at his language, they listen to his speeches, and they hear an authoritarian, some say even a fascist on the horizon in this country. What do you say to those people who have those real concerns?”
“I don’t see that,” McCarthy answered. “And this is what I tell President Trump, too. What President Trump needs to do in this campaign, it needs to be about rebuilding, restoring, renewing America. It can’t be about revenge.”
It’s absurd that McCarthy alleged he doesn’t “see” Trump as an authoritarian when the former president has literally said he would act as one on “day one” if he wins the presidency.
Costa retorted, “He’s talking about retribution! Day in, day out!”
“He needs to stop that,” McCarthy said. “He needs to stop that.”
Costa was not convinced. “You think he’s going to listen to you saying, ‘Stop that. Stop that!’? He hasn’t listened to anybody before!”
“That’s not true. He will adapt when he gets all the facts,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy went on to say there is a “check and balance system” that would limit what Trump can do and added that “America doesn’t want to see the idea of retribution.”
“Where’s the check and balance system on the Republican Party?” Costa fired back.
But McCarthy is delusional if he thinks that “facts” will sway Trump. The facts proving the 2020 election was not rigged did not stop him from trying to steal the presidency. Nor did those facts stop him from encouraging an angry crowd of his supporters to descend on the Capitol.
The former speaker, who recently announced he will not seek re-election after he was ousted by his own party from his leadership role, said in the interview that he has not ruled out joining Trump’s cabinet: “In the right position, look, if, if I’m the best person for the job, yes.”