Trump's 'shrunken clout' on full display as his push for McCarthy falls flat: conservative

Writing for The Bulwark on Thursday, conservative analyst Charlie Sykes mocked former President Donald Trump for his lack of power and influence over the far-right members in Congress, as they continue to block GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from securing the votes for Speaker — the first time this has happened to a House party leader in 100 years.

"First, a caveat: Trump is not irrelevant, because he still has the power to destroy. A single statement on his fail-site could kill all of McCarthy’s ambitions," wrote Sykes. "But his shrunken clout was remarkably obvious yesterday. Trump threw his weight behind His Kevin, only to be blown off by his most loyal supporters."

After a brief appearance of wavering on his endorsement, Trump offered a caps-ridden endorsement of McCarthy for Speaker earlier yesterday.

"And…. he failed to move a single vote. He pressed the red button. And nothing happened," wrote Sykes. "Actually, it was worse than that. Longtime toady, Matt Gaetz, mocked him. 'Sad!' Gaetz said in a statement to Fox. 'This changes neither my view of McCarthy nor Trump nor my vote.' On the House floor, Lauren Boebert (!!!) pushed back on the Orange God King. 'Let’s stop with the campaign smears and tactics to get people to turn against us — even having my favorite president call us and tell us we need to knock this off,' Boebertsaid. 'I think it actually needs to be reversed; the president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that, sir, you do not have the votes, and it’s time to withdraw.'"

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And outside the House, Trump's endorsement has swayed few of the McCarthy opponents either, with several Trump allies, including Stop the Steal activist and Supreme Court spouse Ginni Thomas, signing a letter calling for new House leadership.

"Trump has Red Lines that Must Not Be Crossed. His fluffers know this," concluded Sykes. "But they have decided that Kevin McCarthy is not one of those Red Lines. And MAGA insiders are quick to point out that the former guy has not gone 'full Trump mode' for his boy Kevin."