Kevin McCarthy has developed a reputation for desperate power grabs - Business Insider

• Kevin McCarthy past week suggested limiting assistance to Ukraine if the GOP wins the House successful November.
• In response, Liz Cheney called McCarthy the "leader of the pro-Putin wing" of the GOP, saying he'd "sacrifice everything" for his ain gain.
• The House number person has developed a estimation among critics for being consenting to bash thing to support power.

Following his statements past week suggesting assistance to Ukraine whitethorn beryllium constricted if Republicans instrumentality power of the House of Representatives successful November's election, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is facing disapproval that has been levied astatine him before.

"The information that he's consenting to spell down the way of suggesting that America volition nary longer basal for freedom, I think, tells you he's consenting to sacrifice everything for his ain governmental gain," Rep. Liz Cheney said during a Sunday interrogation with Meet the Press.

McCarthy past Tuesday expressed skepticism astir sending much assistance to Ukraine, saying "it's not a escaped blank check," successful a decisive divided from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's position that the Biden medication and allies request "to bash much to proviso the tools Ukraine needs to thwart Russian aggression."

A tiny contingent of GOP lawmakers, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Rep. Thomas Massie of Tennessee, person mostly opposed sending assistance to Ukraine. As McCarthy hesitated to perpetrate to further fiscal and subject enactment to the state facing penetration by Russian forces, Rep. Liz Cheney criticized him arsenic positioning himself to beryllium "the person of the pro-Putin wing" of the Republican party.

"[A]t each infinitesimal since, frankly, the aftermath of the predetermination successful 2020, erstwhile Minority Leader McCarthy has had the accidental to bash the close happening oregon bash thing that serves his ain governmental purpose, helium ever chooses to service his ain governmental purpose," Cheney said during a Sunday interrogation with Meet the Press. "And, you know, that extends to what we've seen conscionable successful the past fewer days with these comments astir assistance to Ukraine, the thought that someway the enactment is present nary longer going to enactment the Ukrainian people."

Cheney said she doesn't spot McCarthy arsenic "fit for office" and his deficiency of enactment for the Ukrainian radical is "dangerous," adding: "He knows better."

This is not the archetypal clip specified disapproval has been levied astatine McCarthy. His Democratic challenger, Marisa Wood, told Insider he'd "sell his mother's soul" to support his career, and adjacent his astir enthusiastic Bakersfield, California constituents person said helium makes politically-motivated calculations, nevertheless unpopular, to enactment successful office. 

"He chose his ain governmental vocation implicit what is bully for democracy," Wood told Insider, referring to McCarthy's nationalist enactment of Donald Trump aft the Jan. 6 onslaught connected the Capitol. "Over those brave Capitol Police officers, who fought to support democracy. That's what radical are seeing, that's what radical are yet seeing. Kevin McCarthy volition merchantability his mother's psyche successful bid to support his ain governmental vocation and to bash immoderate the erstwhile president tells him to do. And that's not okay."

Even wrong his ain party, members person criticized McCarthy's flimsy resolve, with ABC News reporting Rep. Adam Kinzinger said the House number person demonstrated "an utter deficiency of leadership" successful the aftermath of the Jan. 6 onslaught connected the Capitol.

Despite his public enactment of the erstwhile president, McCarthy drew ire from much staunch MAGA Republicans arsenic good aft private condemnations of Trump's actions connected Jan. 6 came to light. In leaked audio, McCarthy was heard calling Trump's behaviour "unacceptable," saying "I've had it with this guy," earlier helium aboriginal publically met with Trump and signed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to overturn predetermination results successful cardinal states. Matt Gaetz called McCarthy a "weak man" for his criticisms of the erstwhile President, portion Fox News big Tucker Carlson accused him of being "a puppet of the Democratic Party," ABC News reported.

Representatives for McCarthy did not instantly respond to Insider's petition for comment.

Correction: October 23, 2022 — An earlier mentation of this communicative referred to Liz Cheney arsenic a "former" subordinate of Congress. She mislaid her superior but inactive remains successful Congress.