Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy just announced he will be leaving Congress imminently, telling his followers, constituents, and America generally that he plans on retiring from his position as a representative at the end of this year, so in less than a month.
He did so in a short video posted to X (formerly Twitter) in which he explained his background, claimed numerous supposed successes from his time in the House and time as Speaker of the House, and then announced his plans to retire.
Beginning, former Speaker McCarthy gave a bit of background on his career and what roles he held in the House, saying, “17 years ago, I was elected to a seat in Congress that I couldn’t get an internship for. Today, I sit here having served as your whip, leader, and as a 55th, Speaker of the House.”
Continuing, he gave a bit of family history and said, “As the son of a firefighter from Bakersfield. My story is the story of America. For me, every moment came with a great deal of devotion and responsibility. Giving my best to all of you has been my greatest honor.”
He then listed off what he thinks his accomplishments in his leadership roles were, saying, “I’m proud of what we have accomplished. We went to House Majority twice, we elected more Republican women, veterans, and minorities to Congress than ever before. We reduced the deficit by over $2 trillion, while protecting the full faith and credit of our nation. We kept our government operating and our troops paid, while wars broke out around the world.”
Next, McCarthy gave something of a positive vision of America, saying, “Traveling the country and serving with all of you, I have encountered far more people that want to build something than those who want to tear it down. I have faith in this country. Because America is more than a country. America is an idea. Today, I am driven by the same purpose that I felt when I arrived in Congress. But now it is time to pursue my passion in a new arena.”
Then, finally getting to what all that means for his current political position, the former Speaker explained that he would be leaving the House of Representatives at the end of this year, saying, “Well, I’ll be departing the House at the end of this year. I will never ever give up fighting for this country that I love so much.”
Concluding, McCarthy thanked his constituents and those who supported him in his roles, once again claiming that he did the right thing and insinuating that only radicals could have been less than pleased with his performance. Doing so, he said, “To all those who have supported me through the years, especially our constituents. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. We did our part. And when the stakes were the highest, we rose to the challenge. We were willing to risk it all, no matter the odds, no matter the personal cost. Simply put, we did the right thing. Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America. That’s a wrap.”
Watch him here:
Posting the video on X (formerly Twitter), former Speaker McCarthy captioned it by saying, “As the son of a firefighter from Bakersfield, my story is the story of America. For me, every moment came with a great deal of devotion and responsibility. Serving you in Congress and as the 55th Speaker of the House has been my greatest honor.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
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