'It's kind of bittersweet': McCarthy reflects on his time in Congress, praises Mike Johnson
WASHINGTON − After he delivered his farewell address to lawmakers Thursday, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, reflected on his time in Congress in an exit interview, calling Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., “psychotic” and praising the new speaker.
“It’s kind of bittersweet,” McCarthy told reporters. “It’s not the timing I wanted to leave.”
McCarthy was ousted from the speakership in October by eight hard-line conservatives − an effort led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. − and 208 Democrats. He acknowledged that the House Republican conference remains divided, according to ABC News.
"What really sealed it was I told (Speaker Mike) Johnson when he won, I said, 'Look, I'm not going to go to conference,'" McCarthy said. "If I go, I'm undercutting you or, you know, people are looking to me instead of looking at you. You got to carry on."
He added: “But before I made my final decision, I went to conference that week to ... make sure if my decision was right. Spending a few moments in conference kind of sealed it."
McCarthy called Gaetz "psychotic," referring to the time the lawmaker demanded that the motion to vacate threshold be brought down by a member, according to The Hill.
He later added in the interview, “People study that type of crazy mind, right? Mainly the FBI.”
McCarthy also acknowledged Johnson in the interview, saying he’s doing a “good job.”
“Let’s be fair to Mike, right,” McCarthy said. “Mike hasn’t been the majority leader, he hasn’t been the minority leader, he didn’t get to build up to be speaker. He’s thrown in the middle while we’re in the middle of the fight. ... That’s a tough place to be in."