Trump is setting up a 'total nightmare' for Kevin McCarthy: CNN's Phil Mattingly

CNN anchor Phil Mattingly observed on Monday that former President Donald Trump is making demands of House Republicans that could put their majority at risk -- and there doesn't seem to be any way for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to right the ship.

In discussing the current 2024 Republican primary campaign, Mattingly noted that Trump has begun applying pressure to swing-district Republicans to back impeaching President Joe Biden, despite the fact that many of those Republicans are representing districts that Biden won in the 2020 presidential election.

"Trump over the weekend in Iowa [was] saying, basically, 'If you're not seeking retribution on my behalf, you should be primaried'... which would seem to be a House speaker's total nightmare, given the fact that they have such a slim majority. And yet, this is the balancing act that Kevin McCarthy always has to play."

Associated Press political reporter Michelle Price chimed in to concur with Mattingly's analysis.

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"Republicans in Congress are in this kind of tough spot with Trump," she said. "He is the most popular person in his party. If you are running in a competitive race, you want his endorsement, you want to be on his good side."

"You can't piss him off," Mattingly observed.

"Exactly," replied Price.

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