As the recently elected Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy had a golden opportunity to set an example as a moderate, bipartisan politician for the next two years. However, as McCarthy’s campaign for Speaker extended over five days of voting, he ultimately conceded to numerous demands from the far right in order to gain necessary votes. One of these concessions included providing far-right media personality Tucker Carlson “exclusive” January 6 footage to review and discuss on Fox News.
Carlson, who has a history of promoting white nationalism and conspiracy theories, is a hero to many in the far-right movement. In Carlson’s segment, which aired in early March, he emphasized imagery of the invaders milling about the halls and taking pictures of their surroundings, portraying them as “sightseers” and described the scene as “mostly peaceful chaos.” McCarthy defended his decision to pass the footage on—though Representative Bennie Thompson, the former chairman of the January 6 panel, described it as “a dereliction of duty.”
To advance his own standing, McCarthy has made it clear that he is willing to follow the far-right’s wishes in order to maintain his power and influence within the party.
McCarthy’s political roots are seeded in moderation. He once denounced Trump’s influence on the insurrection. But it is evident that this is no longer McCarthy’s stance. Instead, he has backpedaled by stating that people can watch and “come up with their own conclusion” on Carlson’s segment. Undermining the gravity of the insurrection means ignoring a violent attack on the foundation of the United States, which gives violent right-wingers the license to do it again. To advance his own standing, McCarthy has made it clear that he is willing to follow the far right’s wishes in order to maintain his power and influence within the party.
Kevin McCarthy was once considered a more moderate politician and at one point emphasized working across the aisle, branding himself as a “common sense conservative” along with former representatives Eric Cantor and Paul Ryan, nicknamed the “Young Guns.” As of today, both Cantor and Ryan have been driven out of their positions following searing assaults from the party’s right wing: Cantor lost his 2014 primary to a more conservative opponent and Ryan, once Speaker of the House, ultimately left his house seat under pressure from the right in 2018.
McCarthy himself has been criticized by some members of his own party for not being conservative enough—a claim that dates back to at least 2015, when McCarthy first ran for Speaker of the House but ultimately dropped out because of a lack of support. Donald Trump suggested in a speech that he was partly responsible for McCarthy’s failed bid, claiming that McCarthy didn’t have what it took and “wasn’t tough enough for the job.” All of these events served as a lesson for McCarthy: He must transform his stance to appeal to the party’s most conservative elements in order to gain power and not befall the same fate as his former colleagues.
Thus, McCarthy began aligning himself with Trump. After President Trump lost his bid for re-election in 2020, McCarthy was one of the most prominent election deniers—besides Trump himself. McCarthy proclaimed on Fox News, “President Trump won this election, so everyone who’s listening, do not be quiet, do not be silent about this,” and then tweeted the video of his interview, writing, “Republicans will not be silenced.” McCarthy also voted against certifying President Joe Biden’s win in Pennsylvania and Arizona. Nonetheless, McCarthy has allegedly privately told House Republicans that Trump’s actions were “atrocious” and incited the attack, saying, “I’ve had it with this guy,” eventually conceding that Biden won the election. McCarthy’s ascent shows his willingness to go against his own morals and beliefs in order to gain political power.
Now, in 2023, McCarthy has ascended to the speakership with the support of the far-right Freedom Caucus, a group of lawmakers known for its extreme views and anti-establishment rhetoric. In order to win its support, McCarthy had to make promises to advance its agenda and support its priorities. Ultimately, McCarthy was able to win over enough support to secure the speakership, in large part because of his willingness to make concessions to the far-right within the party. This deal likely included promises to advance a far-right agenda, including putting “Freedom Caucus members in coveted seats on the party panel that doles out committee assignments and gavels” and “a vote on a ten-year balanced budget plan that would reduce federal spending and would require trillions in cuts to achieve.” What’s more, McCarthy also agreed to adjustments that would make it easier for his critics to begin proceedings to unseat him: Only one representative needs to call a vote to oust McCarthy. Members of the Freedom Caucus experienced a huge success in making McCarthy their puppet.
Since McCarthy’s new appointment, he has stuck by his far-right associations. This is seen in the recent stalemate over the debt ceiling, in which hard-line Republicans demanded to raise the national debt limit at the expense of domestic programs. Currently, McCarthy has refused to raise the nation’s borrowing cap without significant spending cuts, and President Biden has refused to negotiate on the debt ceiling at all. The result is a game of chicken with the United States running the risk of defaulting on its debt. The relationship between the president and the Speaker of the House determines what can be accomplished in government. But because the relationship between McCarthy and Biden has thus far been ineffectual and dysfunctional, it is further evidence that our divided government cannot function as it needs to.
As Speaker of the House in a politically divided government, McCarthy faces a unique challenge of balancing the interests of Republicans eager to use their leverage, but also finding common ground with Democrats without coming off as soft. However, McCarthy’s actions thus far suggest that he is willing to prioritize the demands of the far right over the needs of the country as a whole. This is an alarming precedent to set, as it undermines the ability of Congress to pass meaningful legislation and has put a Speaker in leadership who will prioritize his maintaining of power over being an effective leader. For Kevin McCarthy to sidle up to those who would undermine those principles is a betrayal of his oath of office and a danger to our democracy.