McCarthy Walks Back Trump Criticism And Cheney Endorsement In Struggle To Unify Caucus

McCarthy told Gray TV host Greta Van Susteren in an interview set to air Sunday that he has “concerns” about Cheney, the chair of the House Republican Conference, because “she never told me ahead of time” she would vote to impeach now-former President Donald Trump.

McCarthy also watered down his prior condemnation of Trump for a Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol that left five dead, stating “everybody across this country has some responsibility” after telling reporters he doesn’t believe Trump “provoked” the attack with his remarks at a preceding rally.

Though McCarthy was unanimously re-elected to his post in November, his second term has gotten off to a rocky start, with 10 House Republicans voting to impeach Trump after more than half the caucus voted to overturn the election.

McCarthy, a firm Trump ally who voted with his caucus to overturn the election and against impeachment, shocked many by stating in a speech during the impeachment proceedings that the former president “bears responsibility” for the attack.

But that has not silenced the cacophony of right-wing House Republicans calling to dislodge Cheney: “She betrayed our conference by joining the witch hunt and voting for the impeachment scam,” tweeted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Saturday.