Cheney calls McCarthy ‘sad’ and ‘pathetic’ for saying he’d serve in Trump administration

Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) went after Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Monday, calling the former Speaker “sad” and “pathetic” for saying he’d be willing to serve in a second Trump administration.

Her criticism follows McCarthy’s claim Sunday that he’d take a role “in the right position” and “if I’m the best person for the job.” The California Republican has announced he will resign at the end of the month.

Cheney was surprised and confused at his remarks.

“I can’t explain it,” she said in an interview with MSNBC. “It’s pathetic. There’s sort of an element of — it doesn’t really matter what Donald Trump has done to the country, what Donald Trump has done to the Congress, Donald Trump has done to Kevin McCarthy…”

“To him!” host Jen Psaki interjected.

“Yeah, it’s just kind of, you know, going back for more,” Cheney replied to the former White House press secretary. 

She continued: “I think it’s sad, but I also think history’s going to show that Kevin’s unwillingness to do the right thing, and you know, sort of each time that decision came, did real damage.”

McCarthy was a Trump loyalist during his term as Speaker, consistently standing by the former president. But Trump didn’t return the favor when fellow Republicans ousted him from House leadership earlier this year.

Much of Cheney’s criticisms were based on McCarthy’s actions toward Trump surrounding the 2020 election.

The former Speaker blamed Trump for the violence during the Jan. 6, 2021, riots on the Capitol in the days after them but quickly turned face and has since sought to exonerate him.

Cheney was one of two Republicans who served on the House Jan. 6 committee, and quickly turned into one of Trump’s fiercest GOP critics.

Her comments come amid speculation that the former Wyoming Republican could launch a third-party presidential bid.