Trump remains angry with McCarthy after the GOP leader said Trump bore some responsibility for Jan 6.- "This guy called me every single day, pretended to be my best friend, and then, he fucked me," Trump said.
- McCarthy implored Trump to call Biden the night before the 2021 inauguration, saying "do it for me."
According to a yet-to-be released book by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Robert Costa,
"This guy called me every single day, pretended to be my best friend, and then, he fucked me," Trump told friends at a dinner in February, according to a new preview of the book by CNN. "He's not a good guy."
CNN also reported that in a private phone the night before the inauguration, McCarthy pleaded with Trump to call then President-elect Joe Biden, only for Trump to rebuff him.
"You've done good things and you want that to be your legacy. Call Joe Biden," McCarthy told Trump. "Do it for me. You've got to call him. Call Joe Biden." Trump never called Biden.
In the week following the
-CSPAN (@cspan) January 13, 2021
"What we saw last week was not the American way, neither is the continued rhetoric that Joe Biden is not the legitimate president. Let's be clear: Joe Biden will be sworn in as president of the US in one week because he won the election," McCarthy said at the time.
In a phone call between the two on the day of the riot, McCarthy pleaded with Trump to call off the mob, only for Trump to rebuke him. "Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are," Trump said.
Despite McCarthy's later attempts to repair his relationship with the former President - including a trip to Mar-a-Lago to visit Trump in late January - Trump reportedly continues to hold McCarthy in low esteem.
"Kevin came down to kiss my ass and wants my help to win the House back," said Trump, according to the book.
-CNN (@CNN) January 28, 2021
CNN reported that Trump also remains angry with other Republicans who blamed Trump for the riot.
In the months since the insurrection, McCarthy has walked back from his initial position. The GOP leader booted Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming from her position as the House GOP Caucus chair after she continued to stress Trump's role in imperiling democracy, and he has refused to cooperate with a new house select committee investigating the attacks.
In late August, McCarthy warned telecom companies not to comply with a request issued by the select committee, which included the records of "individuals potentially involved in discussions" about challenging and delaying Congress from affirming President Joe Biden's 2020 election win.
"If the companies choose to violate federal law, a Republican majority will not forget and will stand with Americans to hold them fully accountable under the law," said McCarthy in a statement, while not specifying what law the companies would be breaking.
-Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) August 31, 2021
Woodward and Costa's book, "Peril," focuses on the final weeks of Trump's presidency and is set to be released on September 21.
By Bob Woodward (small)