POLITICO reported that recently-deposed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy might resign from Congress.
So he walked out to reporters just to say that he won’t do that — and that he’ll seek re-election.
“Don’t read it by somebody else, I will tell you,” said McCarthy.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is not resigning from Congress. And he’s running for re-election next year. And he wants to make sure there’s no confusion about that.
A little more than an hour after POLITICO reported on Friday that the California Republican may step down before the end of his term, the recently-deposed McCarthy emerged from his former office to speak with reporters, seemingly for the sole purpose of disputing the report.
“Not that I want to talk to you, but someone put something out that I’m resigning,” said McCarthy, dressed in casual wear. “I’m not resigning; I have a lot more work to do.”
“Don’t read it by somebody else, I will tell you,” said McCarthy.
As reporters in front of the Speaker’s Office pressed him further on his plans, he also said he’ll be running for re-election next year as well.
“Yes, yes, yes,” he replied.
McCarthy had seemingly left the door open to resigning at a press conference after he was ousted on Tuesday, saying he would “look” at it.
Asked about those comments on Friday, he said he looks “at it every time I have to decide whether I’m going to run for re-election or not.”
McCarthy also declined to weigh in on the ongoing race to succeed him, saying “I’ll let ’em go work.”
Asked about former President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, McCarthy indicated little interest in it.
“Only members vote,” he said. “I think members sit down, they can make their decision.”
