House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told former President Donald Trump in a private conversation that he liked the idea of getting rid of Trump’s two impeachments and would bring it up at the conference to see how many people agreed with him. The source also said that he didn’t say he would bring it to the floor.
McCarthy, a Republican from California, has been trying extra hard to make Trump happy since he said in an interview last month that he thinks the former president can win in 2024 but isn’t sure if he is the “strongest” candidate. McCarthy has since said he’s sorry for making Trump’s staff and friends upset. Trump and his inner group asked the speaker about the alleged breach and why he hadn’t yet backed the former president for office in 2024.
People who talked to CNN at the time say McCarthy called Trump to apologize for the interview and say that he made a mistake on CNBC. During this call, it’s not clear if any other promises were made. Politico says that at first, McCarthy agreed with Trump’s point of view. McCarthy, on the other hand, said that the newspaper was wrong when it said that he had agreed to hold the vote.
Reporters asked McCarthy on Thursday if he had promised to hold the vote on amnesty. He said, “No,” when asked if he had promised to do so. When asked if he would skip the vote, he said that it should “go through committee like anything else.” Many people say that having a vote in the House to get rid of the two impeachments against the former president is pointless because the leadership doesn’t have the support it needs.
Even if McCarthy told Trump he’d do it, there probably wouldn’t be enough votes, which would likely make things worse. Also, no one has ever done it, so no one knows if it is possible to get rid of an impeachment. According to the House Parliamentarian’s office, a motion that would “expunge” Trump’s impeachment would not change the way things work.
The idea of a non-binding House resolution that “expresses the sentiments of one chamber” or “expresses the sense of the House” has been brought up. A plan like this would not only fail to get rid of the impeachment, but it also wouldn’t get rid of the two votes for removal in 2019 and 2020. The Congressional Record would still have a record of those votes.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of the Republican Party and other Trump backers in Congress have asked McCarthy to set a date for a House vote to overturn the two impeachments. Rep. Ken Buck, a Republican from Colorado, told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Friday that he would vote to drop Trump’s impeachment if McCarthy brought it up, but that it wouldn’t be “wise” for the speaker to do so because it would set a bad example.
It’s a smart move for the Republican base, no question about it. Buck said on “The Source” that it’s not a good idea because it’s against the Constitution, and he added that “the Senate erased it when they voted not to impeach.” Hours after McCarthy’s CNBC interview last month, and after he had talked to the former President to clarify his comments, Trump said, “They better do it,” in response to a supporter’s question about the House of Representatives expunging his two impeachments at the opening of his New Hampshire campaign office. As Trump signed caps and talked with voters at his new office in New Hampshire, a fan said, “If McCarthy does his job, they’ll get rid of both of those stupid impeachments.” “I know they’re working on that,” the president said next. They should do something.
