September 18, 2023 • 17 mins
In this episode, Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House, discusses various topics including the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, funding fights on Capitol Hill, and the challenges Republicans face in the current political environment. McCarthy emphasizes the importance of honesty, accountability, and passing appropriation bills to avoid government shutdowns. He criticizes the Biden administration's handling of immigration and highlights the potential legal challenges faced by Donald Trump. The Truth with Lisa Boothe is part of the iHeartRadio Podcast Network - new episodes debut every Monday & Thursday.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We want to share a good friend's podcast with you
this week, Enjoy the Truth with Lisa Booth in the
Clay and Bock podcast Network.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Well, folks, we've got a big guest today, Speaker Kevin
McCarthy is on the show. But before we get started,
I wanted to play this epic exchange that he had
with an Associated Press reporter about the House's impeachment inquiry.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Listen, ben ia As that came out and said that
both Chairman Jordan and Colmer were not able to resent
anything that was an impeachable offense at this point, is
that an assessment that you share?
Speaker 4 (00:35):
You know, we appeachment inquiry is not impeachment. So what
impeachment inquiry is to do is to get answers to questions.
Are you concerned about all the stuff that was just
recently learned? Do you have any concern? Have you asked
the White House any questions? Okay?
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Do you agree that?
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Do you believe the President lied to the American public
when he said he'd never talked to his son about
business deal?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (01:02):
So no, it's all right. You can't answer that.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Do you believe when they said the president went on
conference calls? Do you believe that happened. That's okay. Do
you believe the President went to Cafe Milano and had
dinner with the with the clients of Hunter Biden, who
believes he got those clients because he was selling the brand? Okay,
do you believe Hunter Biden when you sell the video
(01:28):
of him driving a Porsche, that he got one hundred
and forty three thousand dollars to buy that Porsche the
next day?
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Well, we're going to get into that exchange. Also, the
funding fight on Capitol Hill with the September thirtieth deadline
as well. Plus Joe Biden is weak, but Democrats might
convict Donald Trump heading into the twenty twenty four election,
So how do we win in that political environment? All
that and so much more with Speaker of the House
(01:56):
Kevin McCarthy, stay with us. Speaker McCarthy, it's an honor
to have you on the show. You've got a few
things on your plate, to say the least, so we
appreciate you making the time.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Well, I appreciate it. Gave them the opportunity. Look, I
always love a challenge, and every week seems different, and
I've got a few challenges out there. But you know,
what this country is worth, the fight to make it better.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Well, you certainly signed up for the right job. If
you love a challenge. You're getting hit from both sides here.
You know, let's start with the impeachment inquiry. What's your
objective with it?
Speaker 1 (02:36):
My objective with it is just to get to the truth,
to get answers. And you know, it's really interesting. A
lot of people don't understand what impeachment inquiry actually means.
You know, when I first took over Speaker and we've
learned all this new information, we never would have known
anything had Republicans not taken the majority. I mean, think
(02:58):
about what we've known so far. At the very beginning,
the President told us that he never even talked to
his son about any business dealings. We had an Attorney
general who said when we asked for a special counsel
when they were looking at Hunter, Biden said, no, we
don't need that. If Wise needs to be a special counsel,
he can do it. If he wants to prosecuting, where
we'd back it all up? Well, lo and behold what
(03:19):
have we found out? As the world transgressed, we soon
learned that there was an informant to the FBI came
to us and said, the FBI has known or has
an alleged informant that said that Biden took a bribe,
but said you couldn't find it because he had a
(03:41):
lot of shell companies. We then found out that when
Biden became vice president, his family set up twenty shell companies.
We then found out now that twenty million dollars have
gone to him and paid nine different family members. We
have then found out just this summer why we were
gone last month, that Hunter, Biden's business partner, Devin says, no,
(04:03):
the President not only talk to him about it. Hunter
said he was selling the brand, that the President would
call in to the meetings, and that he had dinners
that at both dinners there was outcome. One he got
a new Porsche. Another three million dollars from a Russian
oligarch was sent in the following days. And then all
(04:23):
of a sudden, the sweetheart deal comes and we get
some irs whistleblowers who come to us who say, you know,
what Weiss and the Attorney General have told you is
not what we heard in the meetings. Weiss told us
that he wanted to be special counsel. They wouldn't name it,
and he wanted to prosecute in two jurisdictions and he
was denied, and he said, we took minutes of the meetings,
(04:44):
we asked questions about it. We have since brought in
two other people that were in there. They say the
same thing. And then we've found out that now the
vice president got sixteen of the seventeen payments from Romania
while he was vice president the family. We now also
learned that when the president told us they got no
(05:05):
money from China, that yes, they got a million dollars
from China. And now we've looked as well that the
vice president at the time used a false name in emails.
Why would you do that so you couldn't Foya, you
couldn't find these emails. And in these emails, there's fifty
four hundred of them. The archives control it. Obama gets
(05:26):
to make the decision whether we get to see it.
But in one of them, it literally has the President
and Hunter Biden on it from the staff saying talking
about a phone call with the president of Ukraine. What
we learned from Hunter Biden's business partner who was on BISMA,
the Ukrainian Energy Board with them is that there was
(05:47):
a lot of pressure being mounted about the prosecutor in Ukraine.
We know the President said back then he bragged about
withholding a billion dollars of American taxpayer money to get
the prosecut fired. It's all around the same time period.
We do know from the IRS agents that the government
(06:08):
wise allowed the statue of limitations to run out on
Hunter Biden under the most egregious portions of his tax provisions,
which IRS never allows to happen to any American. So
this is just in a nutshell. We also learned that
there is a White House staffer that worked at the
Vice president office that refers back to Hunter Biden's business
(06:31):
partner says the Vice President has signed off on the
Berezma talking points. Now, we have never gone after the
president's bank records, We've never gone after the credit card
records of all these shell companies. We never got after
Hunter Biden's records. But what we know is we're going
to have to subpoena those and what impeachment inquiry does.
(06:51):
It empowers Congress meaning Republican Democrats, if they offer a
subpoena to be in court to be able to get
the documents that you need. So what we believe is
it's about getting answers. Now, if you were an elected
official and all of a sudden, all this information came
before you, and you've got a question. Is the Attorney
(07:13):
General telling the truth? That could be obstruction if you
had lied? Is there government? Can you buy government or bribe? Well,
there's allegations. Wouldn't you want to clear that up if
someone said that about you? So we believe we should
get the information, put it before the American public.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
I hear you, and I care, and you care, and
House Republicans care. Do you think voters care?
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I believe voters, regardless of where you are philosophically, they
want to know that their elected officials are not selling power.
They don't want it done in a partisan way. And
I think we've been very clear about this, laying it out.
We've said the president you can bring forth any information
you want. But I've never seen a government or a
(07:57):
White House use agencies in manner that they have since Nixon.
I mean, look what they've done now after we uncovered
the irs whistleblowers who are not Republican, who came forward,
who have been just workers for the government, and they
have now told us that when they were going to
interview Hunter Biden, like they do most people, they went
(08:20):
to the FBI the night before. The FBI told Hunter Biden,
so he left when they went to get documents of
what he had stored. You've got a person in the
DOJ calls Hunter Biden's attorneys ahead of time to warn
them to clear out the documents. Then the FBI warns
the Inaugural Committee. You don't want to think that people
(08:41):
are getting some special treatment. When has the IRS investigated
somebody and let the statue of limitations run out? If
it gets close, they make you sign a document to
extend the statue of limitations so it doesn't All this
money he got from Barisma that he didn't report properly,
he never got held accountable or had to pay tax
on it.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
I hope you guys get to the bottom of it.
You know, this is I care. I mean, this is
important how our government is potentially being abused or quid
pro quos, which it certainly looks like Joe Biden engaged in.
You know, I also wanted to get your take on
this spending fight right now on Capitol Hill with this
September thirtieth deadline approaching. I mean, we know the Department
of Justice is corrupt. You know, the border's not secure,
(09:23):
DHS is not doing its job. Why continue funding corrupt agencies?
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Well, you don't want to. And the best way you
do to change all that is fundamentally do it through
passing legislation that controls that. We could put the Holman
Act in. We can fund things that are important. We
can cut other things out. But if you can't pass
the bills on the floor, you have a hard time
winning it in the argument overall. The other thing, Okay,
(09:49):
say you don't fund it and you go to a
government shutdown. You know what happens then the border is
wide open. Do you not want to fund the border agents?
The other problem that happens too in a government shutdown.
You know what still gets funded the prosecutions that are
looking into Trump and others that are playing a political game.
So the way I look at it is, we want
(10:11):
government to function, but we want it to be limited government.
We want to be honest, We wanted to be accountable.
We need to show them how we can show government
can govern that way. That's why we've been moving our
appropriation bills We've got to finish that job. I've looked
at shutdowns before. If you shut down, you really see
(10:31):
the power to the administration. Troops don't get paid, air
traffic controllers don't get paid. You become a problem. So
why don't you pass the bills and have the policy
fights to win it. I think we can win the fight.
Look at the mayor of New York about immigration. Their
closest border is Canada. But what the Biden administration has
(10:54):
done by this wide open border has made every community
of border community fittonyl killing American every single day. I mean,
we've got the policies on our side. We've passed HR two.
We need to take the fight there, not run away
from the fight.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
You know, I want to ask you, there's been a
lot of conversations, you know, I mean, I guess with
the funding, it's you know, if not now, when right?
You know, we all talk about these things, but you know,
now is the time to stand up with the direction
this country is going in because you know, we all
we all know that. You know, Joe Biden is weak,
you know he's destroyed the country. But you know Donald
Trump is facing potentially ninety one you know, criminal charges.
(11:31):
So they may have a week hand, but they're trying
to criminally convict our potential nominee and send them to jail.
You know, how do we win in that environment? And
what impact does that have on the down ballot?
Speaker 1 (11:42):
When you look at that that it goes to the
obstruction question we have itself. How do you use government
to go after the leading candidate to the opposition of you?
That's not America. You know what's interesting here is even
if they think that the president to go after Trump,
(12:03):
how do you do it in a presidential year? You
are just playing political games. And if you watch starting
in New York, the DA now down in Georgia at
the same time, you know it doesn't have merit. It's
political play. That part has got to stop. And I
don't think anybody in America believes that's right.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
No, I agree with you, but they're going to do it,
and so how do we win? I worry that Republicans.
You know, there's all this conversation in Joe Biden's week,
Joe bid but that's operating like this election cycle is
going to be normal, and so, you know, how do
we win? You know, Speaker, if that happens.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Well, the first thing is I never sit back and
say I can't win. We've proven it time and again
in the last two election cycles. When Republicans lost other places,
we won in the House. The interesting thing, we have
a five seat majority. I've been leader for four years,
and those two election cycles with Nancy Pelosi being the Speaker,
I wont five more Republican seats in California. She lost
(12:57):
the majority in her home state. We won in New York.
You know what, You've got to fight back. They change
the election laws in California where everybody gets a ballot
and you can harvest it, so you can sit back
and say, oh, well, we're going to do the Democrats
have the majority, we're going to get and we're going
to fight back. If the rules are you can harvest,
then you harvest. You stand up for the truth, you
defend what is right, and you face them face on
(13:18):
and you tell the truth about what is happening. Look,
we know we have the House, but a five seat majority.
If we don't pass our appropriation bills, we're weaker in
the fight ahead. If we want to fight over the border,
if we want to fight over financial issues, we want
to fight them using the weaponization of government. That's why
I created a select committee to go directly after that.
Haven't had that before, a Select committee on China, so
(13:41):
we can confront with the future challenges we have. You
sit and you get in the trenches, and you make
the arguments, and you fight, and you will win. You
might not win it overnight. Just throwing a tantrum doesn't succeed.
We have to have a strategic plan that makes us succeed.
At the same time.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Well, I'm glad you have your eyes open about it.
I agree with you on all of those issues. You know,
there's been a lot of conversations about age limits for politicians.
You know, Joe Biden is eighty and clear mental decline,
Diane Feinstein ninety, health issues, Mitch mcconnolly eighty one, health issues.
You're only fifty eight, so you're good to go. You're
(14:17):
a good shape, Steger McCarthy.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
But I got another decat or two before I could
become a senator.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Yeah, your great shape. So you know, but is it
time for you know, those guys and gals to step
down and to bow out to retire.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
I think it depends on your capacity though, right I've
watched people who are younger who have challenges. One thing
I say, I think the country as a whole, we
did this in the nineteen sixties, where we start electing
leaders in the forties and the fifties, right, I think
you've got to be able to do the job. And look,
I watched the difference between President Trump and President Biden.
(14:55):
Trump would only need four hours of sleep every night.
That guy was working morning, noon, and night. I've never
see anything like it. And to be fair, Nancy Pelosi
was eighty two, but she's a hard worker and much different.
Biden talks on the open stage that he needs to
take a nap. I don't see much happening in the process.
So it's the energy of what you're able to do.
(15:15):
I let the voters make that decision.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I wanted to commend you because after the impeachment and
Korey went out, the Biden administration instructed the media ramp
up your scrutiny of you know, they gave them the
marching orders, right, and we saw that exchange between you
and the AP reporter. You did such a good job
handling it. How do you get the media to cover
that honestly?
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Well?
Speaker 1 (15:37):
You know what's so interesting if you watch the questions
the media asked me, based upon the questions they asked
then Speaker Pelosi, it's fundamentally different. And I ask back
because here we have the White House sending out to
the media itself on the orders. It's kind of like
media marching orders, right. And you had that a reporter,
(16:00):
she had just written a story before that we went
forward with impeachment inquiry with no evidence. I simply asked
her a few questions that laid out the evidence. I
could have gone on longer, and I think every single
day I got thirty or forty reporters with every moment
I walk out of my building or my office are
around me. I'm not afraid. I don't hide, I don't
(16:23):
put a lid on the day. But I'm not going
to sit back and just have them ask one way.
I'm going to question them because what I find time
and again, even when it comes to legislation, the only
question they have is will I pass it today? They
don't ask about the policy inside it. And I think
when you have a simple response back inquisiting to them,
(16:44):
it refutes all their arguments before that. It proves they're
just taking talking points madly from the White House on
what they want to ask and they know nothing about
what they ask.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Well, it was perfectly done, so thank you for that.
I'd love to have you back on Speaker. I know
obviously you've got a busy day life ahead of you,
so just want to thank you so much for your time.
It's an honor to have you on the show.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
I look forward to coming back many times.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
That of course was Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House.
Honor to have him on the show. That was the
first time he's been on as a guest, so really
appreciate him taking the time. I appreciate you guys at
home for listening every Monday and Thursday, but you can
listen throughout the week. What do you think John Cassio,
my producer, for putting the show together. Until next time,
We want to share a good friend's podcast with you
this week, Enjoy the Truth with Lisa Booth in the
Clay and Bock podcast Network.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Well, folks, we've got a big guest today, Speaker Kevin
McCarthy is on the show. But before we get started,
I wanted to play this epic exchange that he had
with an Associated Press reporter about the House's impeachment inquiry.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Listen, ben ia As that came out and said that
both Chairman Jordan and Colmer were not able to resent
anything that was an impeachable offense at this point, is
that an assessment that you share?
Speaker 4 (00:35):
You know, we appeachment inquiry is not impeachment. So what
impeachment inquiry is to do is to get answers to questions.
Are you concerned about all the stuff that was just
recently learned? Do you have any concern? Have you asked
the White House any questions? Okay?
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Do you agree that?
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Do you believe the President lied to the American public
when he said he'd never talked to his son about
business deal?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (01:02):
So no, it's all right. You can't answer that.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Do you believe when they said the president went on
conference calls? Do you believe that happened. That's okay. Do
you believe the President went to Cafe Milano and had
dinner with the with the clients of Hunter Biden, who
believes he got those clients because he was selling the brand? Okay,
do you believe Hunter Biden when you sell the video
(01:28):
of him driving a Porsche, that he got one hundred
and forty three thousand dollars to buy that Porsche the
next day?
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Well, we're going to get into that exchange. Also, the
funding fight on Capitol Hill with the September thirtieth deadline
as well. Plus Joe Biden is weak, but Democrats might
convict Donald Trump heading into the twenty twenty four election,
So how do we win in that political environment? All
that and so much more with Speaker of the House
(01:56):
Kevin McCarthy, stay with us. Speaker McCarthy, it's an honor
to have you on the show. You've got a few
things on your plate, to say the least, so we
appreciate you making the time.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Well, I appreciate it. Gave them the opportunity. Look, I
always love a challenge, and every week seems different, and
I've got a few challenges out there. But you know,
what this country is worth, the fight to make it better.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Well, you certainly signed up for the right job. If
you love a challenge. You're getting hit from both sides here.
You know, let's start with the impeachment inquiry. What's your
objective with it?
Speaker 1 (02:36):
My objective with it is just to get to the truth,
to get answers. And you know, it's really interesting. A
lot of people don't understand what impeachment inquiry actually means.
You know, when I first took over Speaker and we've
learned all this new information, we never would have known
anything had Republicans not taken the majority. I mean, think
(02:58):
about what we've known so far. At the very beginning,
the President told us that he never even talked to
his son about any business dealings. We had an Attorney
general who said when we asked for a special counsel
when they were looking at Hunter, Biden said, no, we
don't need that. If Wise needs to be a special counsel,
he can do it. If he wants to prosecuting, where
we'd back it all up? Well, lo and behold what
(03:19):
have we found out? As the world transgressed, we soon
learned that there was an informant to the FBI came
to us and said, the FBI has known or has
an alleged informant that said that Biden took a bribe,
but said you couldn't find it because he had a
(03:41):
lot of shell companies. We then found out that when
Biden became vice president, his family set up twenty shell companies.
We then found out now that twenty million dollars have
gone to him and paid nine different family members. We
have then found out just this summer why we were
gone last month, that Hunter, Biden's business partner, Devin says, no,
(04:03):
the President not only talk to him about it. Hunter
said he was selling the brand, that the President would
call in to the meetings, and that he had dinners
that at both dinners there was outcome. One he got
a new Porsche. Another three million dollars from a Russian
oligarch was sent in the following days. And then all
(04:23):
of a sudden, the sweetheart deal comes and we get
some irs whistleblowers who come to us who say, you know,
what Weiss and the Attorney General have told you is
not what we heard in the meetings. Weiss told us
that he wanted to be special counsel. They wouldn't name it,
and he wanted to prosecute in two jurisdictions and he
was denied, and he said, we took minutes of the meetings,
(04:44):
we asked questions about it. We have since brought in
two other people that were in there. They say the
same thing. And then we've found out that now the
vice president got sixteen of the seventeen payments from Romania
while he was vice president the family. We now also
learned that when the president told us they got no
(05:05):
money from China, that yes, they got a million dollars
from China. And now we've looked as well that the
vice president at the time used a false name in emails.
Why would you do that so you couldn't Foya, you
couldn't find these emails. And in these emails, there's fifty
four hundred of them. The archives control it. Obama gets
(05:26):
to make the decision whether we get to see it.
But in one of them, it literally has the President
and Hunter Biden on it from the staff saying talking
about a phone call with the president of Ukraine. What
we learned from Hunter Biden's business partner who was on BISMA,
the Ukrainian Energy Board with them is that there was
(05:47):
a lot of pressure being mounted about the prosecutor in Ukraine.
We know the President said back then he bragged about
withholding a billion dollars of American taxpayer money to get
the prosecut fired. It's all around the same time period.
We do know from the IRS agents that the government
(06:08):
wise allowed the statue of limitations to run out on
Hunter Biden under the most egregious portions of his tax provisions,
which IRS never allows to happen to any American. So
this is just in a nutshell. We also learned that
there is a White House staffer that worked at the
Vice president office that refers back to Hunter Biden's business
(06:31):
partner says the Vice President has signed off on the
Berezma talking points. Now, we have never gone after the
president's bank records, We've never gone after the credit card
records of all these shell companies. We never got after
Hunter Biden's records. But what we know is we're going
to have to subpoena those and what impeachment inquiry does.
(06:51):
It empowers Congress meaning Republican Democrats, if they offer a
subpoena to be in court to be able to get
the documents that you need. So what we believe is
it's about getting answers. Now, if you were an elected
official and all of a sudden, all this information came
before you, and you've got a question. Is the Attorney
(07:13):
General telling the truth? That could be obstruction if you
had lied? Is there government? Can you buy government or bribe? Well,
there's allegations. Wouldn't you want to clear that up if
someone said that about you? So we believe we should
get the information, put it before the American public.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
I hear you, and I care, and you care, and
House Republicans care. Do you think voters care?
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I believe voters, regardless of where you are philosophically, they
want to know that their elected officials are not selling power.
They don't want it done in a partisan way. And
I think we've been very clear about this, laying it out.
We've said the president you can bring forth any information
you want. But I've never seen a government or a
(07:57):
White House use agencies in manner that they have since Nixon.
I mean, look what they've done now after we uncovered
the irs whistleblowers who are not Republican, who came forward,
who have been just workers for the government, and they
have now told us that when they were going to
interview Hunter Biden, like they do most people, they went
(08:20):
to the FBI the night before. The FBI told Hunter Biden,
so he left when they went to get documents of
what he had stored. You've got a person in the
DOJ calls Hunter Biden's attorneys ahead of time to warn
them to clear out the documents. Then the FBI warns
the Inaugural Committee. You don't want to think that people
(08:41):
are getting some special treatment. When has the IRS investigated
somebody and let the statue of limitations run out? If
it gets close, they make you sign a document to
extend the statue of limitations so it doesn't All this
money he got from Barisma that he didn't report properly,
he never got held accountable or had to pay tax
on it.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
I hope you guys get to the bottom of it.
You know, this is I care. I mean, this is
important how our government is potentially being abused or quid
pro quos, which it certainly looks like Joe Biden engaged in.
You know, I also wanted to get your take on
this spending fight right now on Capitol Hill with this
September thirtieth deadline approaching. I mean, we know the Department
of Justice is corrupt. You know, the border's not secure,
(09:23):
DHS is not doing its job. Why continue funding corrupt agencies?
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Well, you don't want to. And the best way you
do to change all that is fundamentally do it through
passing legislation that controls that. We could put the Holman
Act in. We can fund things that are important. We
can cut other things out. But if you can't pass
the bills on the floor, you have a hard time
winning it in the argument overall. The other thing, Okay,
(09:49):
say you don't fund it and you go to a
government shutdown. You know what happens then the border is
wide open. Do you not want to fund the border agents?
The other problem that happens too in a government shutdown.
You know what still gets funded the prosecutions that are
looking into Trump and others that are playing a political game.
So the way I look at it is, we want
(10:11):
government to function, but we want it to be limited government.
We want to be honest, We wanted to be accountable.
We need to show them how we can show government
can govern that way. That's why we've been moving our
appropriation bills We've got to finish that job. I've looked
at shutdowns before. If you shut down, you really see
(10:31):
the power to the administration. Troops don't get paid, air
traffic controllers don't get paid. You become a problem. So
why don't you pass the bills and have the policy
fights to win it. I think we can win the fight.
Look at the mayor of New York about immigration. Their
closest border is Canada. But what the Biden administration has
(10:54):
done by this wide open border has made every community
of border community fittonyl killing American every single day. I mean,
we've got the policies on our side. We've passed HR two.
We need to take the fight there, not run away
from the fight.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
You know, I want to ask you, there's been a
lot of conversations, you know, I mean, I guess with
the funding, it's you know, if not now, when right?
You know, we all talk about these things, but you know,
now is the time to stand up with the direction
this country is going in because you know, we all
we all know that. You know, Joe Biden is weak,
you know he's destroyed the country. But you know Donald
Trump is facing potentially ninety one you know, criminal charges.
(11:31):
So they may have a week hand, but they're trying
to criminally convict our potential nominee and send them to jail.
You know, how do we win in that environment? And
what impact does that have on the down ballot?
Speaker 1 (11:42):
When you look at that that it goes to the
obstruction question we have itself. How do you use government
to go after the leading candidate to the opposition of you?
That's not America. You know what's interesting here is even
if they think that the president to go after Trump,
(12:03):
how do you do it in a presidential year? You
are just playing political games. And if you watch starting
in New York, the DA now down in Georgia at
the same time, you know it doesn't have merit. It's
political play. That part has got to stop. And I
don't think anybody in America believes that's right.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
No, I agree with you, but they're going to do it,
and so how do we win? I worry that Republicans.
You know, there's all this conversation in Joe Biden's week,
Joe bid but that's operating like this election cycle is
going to be normal, and so, you know, how do
we win? You know, Speaker, if that happens.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Well, the first thing is I never sit back and
say I can't win. We've proven it time and again
in the last two election cycles. When Republicans lost other places,
we won in the House. The interesting thing, we have
a five seat majority. I've been leader for four years,
and those two election cycles with Nancy Pelosi being the Speaker,
I wont five more Republican seats in California. She lost
(12:57):
the majority in her home state. We won in New York.
You know what, You've got to fight back. They change
the election laws in California where everybody gets a ballot
and you can harvest it, so you can sit back
and say, oh, well, we're going to do the Democrats
have the majority, we're going to get and we're going
to fight back. If the rules are you can harvest,
then you harvest. You stand up for the truth, you
defend what is right, and you face them face on
(13:18):
and you tell the truth about what is happening. Look,
we know we have the House, but a five seat majority.
If we don't pass our appropriation bills, we're weaker in
the fight ahead. If we want to fight over the border,
if we want to fight over financial issues, we want
to fight them using the weaponization of government. That's why
I created a select committee to go directly after that.
Haven't had that before, a Select committee on China, so
(13:41):
we can confront with the future challenges we have. You
sit and you get in the trenches, and you make
the arguments, and you fight, and you will win. You
might not win it overnight. Just throwing a tantrum doesn't succeed.
We have to have a strategic plan that makes us succeed.
At the same time.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Well, I'm glad you have your eyes open about it.
I agree with you on all of those issues. You know,
there's been a lot of conversations about age limits for politicians.
You know, Joe Biden is eighty and clear mental decline,
Diane Feinstein ninety, health issues, Mitch mcconnolly eighty one, health issues.
You're only fifty eight, so you're good to go. You're
(14:17):
a good shape, Steger McCarthy.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
But I got another decat or two before I could
become a senator.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Yeah, your great shape. So you know, but is it
time for you know, those guys and gals to step
down and to bow out to retire.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
I think it depends on your capacity though, right I've
watched people who are younger who have challenges. One thing
I say, I think the country as a whole, we
did this in the nineteen sixties, where we start electing
leaders in the forties and the fifties, right, I think
you've got to be able to do the job. And look,
I watched the difference between President Trump and President Biden.
(14:55):
Trump would only need four hours of sleep every night.
That guy was working morning, noon, and night. I've never
see anything like it. And to be fair, Nancy Pelosi
was eighty two, but she's a hard worker and much different.
Biden talks on the open stage that he needs to
take a nap. I don't see much happening in the process.
So it's the energy of what you're able to do.
(15:15):
I let the voters make that decision.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I wanted to commend you because after the impeachment and
Korey went out, the Biden administration instructed the media ramp
up your scrutiny of you know, they gave them the
marching orders, right, and we saw that exchange between you
and the AP reporter. You did such a good job
handling it. How do you get the media to cover
that honestly?
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Well?
Speaker 1 (15:37):
You know what's so interesting if you watch the questions
the media asked me, based upon the questions they asked
then Speaker Pelosi, it's fundamentally different. And I ask back
because here we have the White House sending out to
the media itself on the orders. It's kind of like
media marching orders, right. And you had that a reporter,
(16:00):
she had just written a story before that we went
forward with impeachment inquiry with no evidence. I simply asked
her a few questions that laid out the evidence. I
could have gone on longer, and I think every single
day I got thirty or forty reporters with every moment
I walk out of my building or my office are
around me. I'm not afraid. I don't hide, I don't
(16:23):
put a lid on the day. But I'm not going
to sit back and just have them ask one way.
I'm going to question them because what I find time
and again, even when it comes to legislation, the only
question they have is will I pass it today? They
don't ask about the policy inside it. And I think
when you have a simple response back inquisiting to them,
(16:44):
it refutes all their arguments before that. It proves they're
just taking talking points madly from the White House on
what they want to ask and they know nothing about
what they ask.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Well, it was perfectly done, so thank you for that.
I'd love to have you back on Speaker. I know
obviously you've got a busy day life ahead of you,
so just want to thank you so much for your time.
It's an honor to have you on the show.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
I look forward to coming back many times.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
That of course was Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House.
Honor to have him on the show. That was the
first time he's been on as a guest, so really
appreciate him taking the time. I appreciate you guys at
home for listening every Monday and Thursday, but you can
listen throughout the week. What do you think John Cassio,
my producer, for putting the show together. Until next time,
Host
Lisa Boothe
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