The former president said that, if he runs for president and wins in 2024, Senator Mitch McConnell will “be out in two minutes.”
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Former President Donald J. Trump speaks in Dayton, Ohio, on Monday.
In an interview with Fox News, former President Donald J. Trump said he would support Representative Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader, in his bid for speaker if Republicans win back control of the House of Representatives with Tuesday’s election.
The vote for speaker is an internal process in which only House members cast a vote. But Mr. Trump holds sway over a significant portion of the House Republican conference, whose support Mr. McCarthy needs to secure the job.
Mr. McCarthy has been careful not to do anything that would alienate the former president, yet he has angered Mr. Trump over the past year, most notably for his decision to pull all Republicans from the Jan. 6 committee investigating the attack at the Capitol.
Mr. McCarthy’s team also worked to smooth out the relationship with Mr. Trump after an audio recording was released that showed the minority leader telling his fellow G.O.P. leaders he was considering urging Mr. Trump to resign from office after the riot.
Mr. Trump was less enthusiastic about Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and minority leader. He has repeatedly called on Senate Republicans to replace Mr. McConnell as leader and used racist terms to disparage his wife, Elaine Chao, who was born in Taiwan.
The two have been at odds since Mr. McConnell said Trump was “practically and morally responsible” for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
“I think we’ll probably have to live with him for two years,” Mr. Trump said, after calling him a “lousy” leader. “If I run and if I win, I will say, ‘Don’t send me any legislation if he’s the leader,’ and he’ll be out in two minutes.”
Mr. Trump also said he would support Representative Elise Stefanik, Republican of New York and one of his closest allies in Congress, in her bid to continue to serve as conference chair.
In a statement, Ms. Stefanik said that “there has been no greater partner than President Trump in helping House Republicans.”
Mr. Trump, who has been eager to claim credit for Republican victories, has teased a potential run for president in 2024, saying on Monday night that he would have a big announcement on Nov. 15 at Mar-a-Lago.
Ms. Stefanik said she was “looking forward to his big announcement next week” and that “he has my full support in 2024.”
Source: nytimes.com
