McCarthy likens relationship with Trump to marriage: ‘Ebbs and flows’

In an interview that took place on Friday, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy compared interactions between himself and former President Donald Trump to those that occur in a marriage. 

McCarthy described his relationship with Trump as being sometimes difficult, as the Washington Examiner reported.

A month ago, McCarthy left the House of Representatives after having previously been removed from the speaker's role after only nine months of service.

It was also during the previous month that he gave his presidential endorsement to Trump, who had apparently been angered by McCarthy's reluctance to do so.

After receiving the mark of approval from the Republican from California, a new wave of endorsements for Trump came from important politicians on Capitol Hill.

McCarthy's Comments

McCarthy posed the following question to a journalist from the Financial Times: "Have you ever fought [with your husband]?" when questioned about his atypical connection with the previous president.

“Have you ever expressed your opinion? Because you love this person, would you express it stronger than you would express [it] to somebody you met on the street?” he asked the journalist.

The interpersonal comparison drawn was apparently based on McCarthy's seemingly unfettered readiness to interact with Trump in an open and honest manner.

“I will say things to [Trump] that I think other people won’t,” he claimed.

“Now, will it make him mad? Yeah. But will he respect me more? I believe so,” the former speaker continued.

The Analogy

McCarthy stated that every relationship experiences distinct phases of "ebbs and flows." Stronger emotions accompany closer relationships, in his opinion.

For example, he said, “I couldn’t have a relationship with President Trump where we smiled at each other every day.”

McCarthy stated that the former president and he have had "tough conversations" and that he is capable of doing so "only because our bond is strong."

Wednesday, Trump appeared to have adhered to advice he received during a Fox News town hall, when, following comments critical of his rhetoric of vengeance and retribution during earlier phases of the 2024 presidential campaign, the former president declared, “I’m not going to have time for retribution.”