McCarthy Signals He Is Open to Return as House Speaker

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) signaled that he is open to returning as Speaker of the House if a new leader cannot be agreed upon by lawmakers.

McCarthy shared the comments during an interview with Hugh Hewitt about the recent situation.

McCarthy may not be gone yet.https://t.co/yYSi5nmjFG

— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) October 10, 2023

“Look, the conference has to make that decision. I’m still a member. I’m going to continue to fight and act,” McCarthy said.

“Look, whatever the conference wants, I will do. I think we need to be strong. I think we need to be united. The eight, in my view, don’t look to be — it was a personal thing," he added.

Jordan creeps ahead of Scalise in public House GOP support before speaker vote Wednesday https://t.co/K9n5e8ZUrb

— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 9, 2023

"House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is currently leading Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., in public endorsements in what’s still a tight race for the next House speaker," Fox News reported.

"Jordan and Scalise are the only two formally declared candidates in the race. House Republicans are huddling behind closed doors on Monday evening before holding a speakership candidate forum on Tuesday and an intraparty election on Wednesday morning," it noted.

Only about a third of the House's Republicans have made a public decision on the person they plan to support.

The new twist of McCarthy potentially returning as the House Speaker could result in Republicans instead deciding to make a clear decision on a new leader to avoid a repeat of the former Speaker's return.

Both current options serve as strong supporters of the former president, offering a potential MAGA-focused House if Trump wins the presidency next year.

Meanwhile, Democrats will continue to deny all Republican options as they cast the GOP as divided ahead of the 2024 election season that could see former President Donald Trump face a rematch against President Joe Biden.