According to two sources familiar with the situation, former President Donald Trump declined to issue a statement Monday reiterating his support for Rep. Kevin McCarthy as House speaker, despite a behind-the-scenes effort by several of McCarthy’s allies to persuade Trump to do so.
Trump has not withdrawn his support for McCarthy, and he may not in the end, but the former president is keeping a close eye on the situation on Capitol Hill.
His silence as McCarthy faced three failed votes did not go unnoticed, as Trump appeared to privately side with the hardliners against McCarthy in some conversations Tuesday, according to one of the sources.
It’s worth noting that Trump called those hardliners on McCarthy’s behalf on Monday.