Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy appeared to be doing damage control Tuesday after he failed to unequivocally say former President Donald Trump is the strongest candidate.
During an interview on CNBC, McCarthy was asked whether Trump could win the general election and whether it would be good for the Republican Party if Trump became the nominee.
“Can Trump beat Biden? Yeah, he can beat Biden,” McCarthy told CNBC’s Joe Kernen. “Look, the Republicans get to select their nominee. I think if you want to go sheer policy for policy, it’s not [just] good for Republicans, it’s good for America. Trump’s policies are better straightforward than Biden’s policies.” (RELATED: ‘Should Enhance Our Investigation’: McCarthy Responds To Hunter Charges)
Kernen continued to press McCarthy on whether Trump could win the election.
“The question is, is he the strongest to win the election? I don’t know that answer,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy’s comment quickly circulated across social media and news outlets, seemingly prompting McCarthy to send out a campaign message.
“Trump is the STRONGEST opponent to Biden! Stand with Trump now and your name will be flagged to Trump & his team,” a campaign message reads, according to The Hill’s Emily Brooks.
& here is a text blast from McCarthy campaign https://t.co/yw7eDVEGFx pic.twitter.com/MRp1kPvkR1
— Emily Brooks (@emilybrooksnews) June 27, 2023
McCarthy also exclusively told Breitbart Tuesday he believes Trump is “stronger today than he was in 2016.”
“As usual, the media is attempting to drive a wedge between President Trump and House Republicans as our committees are holding Biden’s DOJ accountable for their two-tiered levels of justice,” McCarthy told the outlet. “The only reason Biden is using his weaponized federal government to go after President Trump is because he is Biden’s strongest political opponent, as polling continues to show.”