“I Did Our Country a Huge Favor!”

• Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday to thank McCarthy for his win as speaker.
• He wrote, “I greatly assisted Kevin McCarthy achieve the position of Speaker in the House.”
• McCarthy was elected by the House in a 216-212 vote after 15 rounds of balloting.

Trump ex-president enjoyed Saturday’s ascension to the House speakership by Kevin McCarthy, declaring that he did “a big favor” for America by supporting the California Republican.

Trump — who since his 2016 presidential campaign has had an adversarial relationship with many media outlets — took to Truth Social to express his feelings over McCarthy’s win while also giving a backhanded compliment to the press.

“The Fake News Media were, believe it or not. They were very gracious in their reporting that Kevin McCarthy was able to achieve the position of Speaker of The House.” he wrote. “Thank you, I did our country a great favor!”

Trump, who became the Republican Party’s most powerful political kingmaker during his four years in the White House, sought to reassure wavering conservatives on the fence about McCarthy that the GOP leader would work to advance the party’s interests — on everything from taxes and tackling the deficit to immigration and international affairs.

After 15 rounds, McCarthy was defeated by a number of Freedom Caucus legislators who wanted to see the House GOP Conference move in a new direction. The Californian finally prevailed. won the speakershipVote 216-212 for Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, New York.

McCarthy has long been an ally of Trump. backtrackedAfter the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021, McCarthy criticized the former president. McCarthy went to Mar-a-Lago to meet Trump just days after the insurrection. This laid the foundation for his continued political partnership.

Trump recently reaffirmed his support McCarthy, telling conservatives that he didn’t want any disagreements about McCarthy’s leadership to spiral into an “embarrassing victory.”

However, last week’s intraparty battle was exactly what Trump sought to prevent — a reflection that for many conservatives, the former president remains a revered figure, but not one whom they are still willing to take political cues from.

With Trump already in the race for the 2024 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 last November.

From Republican Kari Lake defeatEx-NFL player Herschel Walk’s will be the Arizona governor in 2022. lossDemocratic Sen. Raphael Warnock was the winner in the Georgia Senate runoff last month. Many Trump-backed candidates fell last year. Some Republicans blamed the former president, while others support him in 2024.