Kevin McCarthy’s Rude Awakening – Axios

Kevin McCarthy learns that you can be set on fire when trying to make everyone happy, especially after an insurgency.

Why is this important: The Republican House leader had hoped to use this year to move closer to the majority in 2022, but his efforts to overcome party divisions over the Capitol seat have him taking heat from all directions, eroding his stature at the both with the public and indoors. his side.

The last proof: McCarthy’s digital director Caleb Smith sent an explosive email to a group of GOP communications staff on Saturday afternoon asking them to show their support for his boss.

• The subject line read: “{GOP-New-Media} Retweet Request”, according to a copy of the email obtained by Axios.
• Smith wrote: “The HuffPost and the Blue Checks were in force today to try to distort Chief McCarthy’s words in an effort to further divide America. They deserve to be called. I would greatly appreciate your help push back by retweeting this: https://twitter.com/GOPLeader/status/1353057765015449610. “

What they say: “We’re eating shit for breakfast, lunch and dinner right now,” a McCarthy assistant told Axios. The assistant requested anonymity to speak candidly about his boss’s situation.

The pressure mounts on McCarthy financially, politically and publicly.

• Corporate donors are freezing him for contesting the electoral college’s vote on Jan.6.
• The media criticized him for initially saying “the president bears responsibility” for the attack on the Capitol, but amended it last week to say: “I don’t believe he provoked it, if you listen to this he said at the rally. “
• McCarthy has also been slapped for saying in an interview this weekend that “everyone” bears responsibility for the political temperature in the country.
• Meanwhile, the pro-Trump wing of his conference is angry with him for not more strongly condemning Representative Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) After voting to impeach Trump.

Driving the news: McCarthy explained his words Thursday in an interview this weekend with van Susteren. He also signaled limits to his support for Cheney, conference chairman and House Republican No.3.

• “Listen, I support her, but I also have concerns,” he said, adding that there are “a lot of issues” that she needs to address at a conference meeting later this week. .