Republican Congressman Describes Effort to Tank McCarthy’s Speaker Bid: ‘He Absolutely Should Be Concerned’
Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) said he and other ultraconservative House Republicans intend to oppose Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s bid for speaker if Republicans win back the House, which they appear poised to do as vote totals across the country are gradually counted.
Republicans underperformed in Tuesday’s midterm elections, but are nevertheless expected to retake the House by a modest margin. As the leader of the Republican conference, McCarthy is expected to ascend to the speakership.
Good, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, appeared on Thursday’s The Ingraham Angle on Fox News, where Laura Ingraham played Good a clip of McCarthy on the network earlier in the day.
The minority leader was asked whether he’s concerned he won’t have the 218 votes needed to become speaker.
“I’m not concerned,” McCarthy replied.
Ingraham asked Good for his reaction.
“Is there rumblings afoot in the Freedom Caucus that you need to go in another direction?” she asked.
“He absolutely should be concerned,” Good responded. “His only priority the last two years has seemed to be to get the majority and become speaker just for the sake of having the majority and becoming speaker. He’s essentially had a two-year audition where he had the exclusive opportunity to earn the vote of the conference and demonstrate that he was willing to fight against the Biden-Pelosi-Schumer agenda. And he failed to do that.”
The Fox News host asked Good who might be speaker, if not McCarthy.
“Congressman, is there anyone else’s whose name is floating out there that would want to be speaker?” Ingraham asked.
“I can tell you that there absolutely will be a challenge to Kevin McCarthy’s leadership bid when we have our organizational meetings next week,” he answered. “And the intent on Nov. 15 – when that’s scheduled to be – will be to demonstrate that he doesn’t have near 218 votes and that opens it up for anyone to be considered on Jan. 3. And I think there’s a lot of members of Congress who will be interested in being speaker once it’s clear that Kevin McCarthy does not have the required 218 votes.”
“Well, we’re gonna invite Kevin McCarthy on to respond so some of your criticism,” Ingraham replied. “I look forward to hearing what he has to say.”
Watch above via Fox News.
