KT McFarland, the former deputy national security adviser in the Trump administration, told Newsmax on Friday the ongoing battle in the House "is the best thing that could have happened to" the next speaker "whether it's McCarthy or somebody else."
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., remains 17-18 votes shy of a majority needed in the House to earn the speaker's gavel.
"What are the criticisms of McCarthy? He doesn't have a spine, right? He's not a tough guy, doesn't have a backbone," McFarland told "Wake Up America,"
"He doesn't need a backbone now. His back is up against the wall by those conservatives in the House. So I think they've given him an enormous amount of negotiating leverage, not with the president, not with the Senate majority leader, but with the Senate minority leader, the other Republican to say, 'Enough. We're not going to spend money that we don't have on stuff we don't need.'"
When asked if she was surprised former President Donald Trump's endorsement of McCarthy has not done more to help win over the conservatives opposing him, McFarland said, "They're doing it, I don't think out of spite, or out of anger, or out of craziness. I think they're doing it out of principle," to oppose high government spending and increased debt.
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.