Kevin McCarthy's ascent to the House speakership on Saturday was celebrated by former President Donald Trump.
Trump gave a backhanded compliment to the press while expressing his feelings over McCarthy's win.
He said that the Fake News Media was very gracious in their reporting that he helped Kevin McCarthy get the position of Speaker of the House. I did a huge favor for our country.
Trump, who became the Republican Party's most powerful political kingmaker during his four years in the White House, sought to assure wavering conservatives that the GOP leader would work to advance the party's interests.
After 15 rounds of voting, McCarthy broke through and won the speakership in a vote over Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
McCarthy was critical of the former president after the Capitol riot in January of 2021. McCarthy traveled to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump after the insurrection.
It was not beneficial for disagreements over the California lawmaker's leadership to balloon into an embarrassment, according to Trump.
For many conservatives, the former president remains a revered figure, but not one who they are willing to take political cues from.
With Trump already in the race for the GOP presidential nomination, he is acutely aware that many Republicans may be looking at potential alternatives, especially since he was widely blamed for meddling in a slew of party primaries which produced deeply flawed general election candidates who lost to Democratic candidates.
Many Trump-backed candidates lost last year, from the Arizona gubernatorial election to Herschel Walker's loss to a democrat in the Georgia Senate race.
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