Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s “revenge tour” suffered a flat tire in its first showing. McCarthy and his well-heeled allies are seeking retribution against the Republicans who voted to remove him as speaker last year, and one way he’s tried to get back at them — aside from savaging them in the media — is by backing their challengers in primary races.
The former speaker saw his first shot at retribution go up in flames Tuesday, as his nominee to oust Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., in the District 1 primary failed mightily.
NBC News reports McCarthy-linked groups spent more than $4 million hoping to boost attorney Catherine Templeton, and all that amounted to was a 27-point drubbing. McCarthy and Co.’s support for Templeton placed them at odds with Donald Trump, whose endorsement of Mace, she said, “means more today than it has ever meant.”
According to some reports, Mace and Virginia Rep. Bob Good were considered the most vulnerable targets in the group McCarthy has called the “crazy eight led by Matt Gaetz.”
Good, who endorsed Ron DeSantis in the Republican presidential primary, is the only member of that group who’s received a full-on condemnation from Trump this year. Trump endorsed John McGuire, the McCarthy-aligned opponent, in the primary. So there’s potential for a McCarthy “win” — if you want to call it that, since it’s drafting in the wake of Trump’s involvement. There’s a McCarthy-aligned opponent running in the primary against Gaetz, too; ousting him is likely an uphill climb, given that Gaetz received nearly 70% of the vote in his last primary.
As Politico notes, McCarthy has limited opportunities to exact his revenge going forward:
Rep. Eli Crane (Ariz.) also voted to oust McCarthy and faces a primary later this summer. Two of McCarthy’s other detractors — Rep. Matt Rosendale (Mont.) and former Rep. Ken Buck (Colo.) — aren’t running for reelection, while two others — [Tennessee Rep. Tim] Burchett and Rep. Andy Biggs (Ariz.) — don’t have a primary opponent.
This “revenge tour” by McCarthy was supposed to show his power as an independent force in Republican politics. So far, it’s shaping up to be a reflection of his weakness and political irrelevance.
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.