McCarthy should have known never to trust Pelosi.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) addressed allegations on Friday that she had reneged on a supposed promise to Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) during this week’s historic vote that led to his removal from his leadership role.
According to The Hill, during a recent interview on “The Issue Is” from Fox 11 Los Angeles, host Elex Michaelson questioned Pelosi about McCarthy’s claim. He asked, “Kevin McCarthy says that you essentially broke a promise to him to keep Democrats with him if there was a vote against him. Is that not true?”
In response, Pelosi firmly denied the accusation, stating, “Not really. I had no promise to him. Our Democratic members made their decision.”
Pelosi highlighted various concerns raised by Democrats that contributed to McCarthy’s removal from his leadership position, including the Republican impeachment inquiry into President Biden. She emphasized, “If you don’t respect the institution, then don’t expect us to bail you out.”
In a historic vote, eight Republicans, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), joined forces with Democrats in a 216-210 vote to oust McCarthy from his role, marking the first time the House had ever taken such action.
Earlier in the week, McCarthy announced that he would not seek another term as Speaker. On Friday, he quashed speculation that he might resign from Congress, asserting, “I’m not resigning. I’ve got a lot more work to do.”
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) is currently serving as Speaker pro tempore until the House conducts a vote to elect a new Speaker. Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) are considered the leading contenders in this race.
In what some perceive as a retaliatory move following McCarthy’s removal, McHenry ordered Pelosi and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) to vacate their Capitol “hideaway” offices. Pelosi downplayed the incident, dismissing it as “incidental.”