Kevin McCarthy must be a slow learner.
Time and time again, Donald Trump has demanded unwavering loyalty while exhibiting none in return. The former president鈥檚 notion of reciprocal personal allegiance works in only one direction: If it serves me, I鈥檓 behind you.
kAm%96 =:DE @7 9:D 324<\DE23365 7@C>6C 2DD@4:2E6D :D =@?8 2?5 :>AC6DD:G6i xE :?4=F56D ':46 !C6D:56?E |:<6 !6?46[ pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= (:==:2> q2CC[ (9:E6 w@FD6 49:67 @7 DE277 y@9? z6==J[ ?2E:@?2= D64FC:EJ 25G:D6C y@9? q@=E@? 2?5 y@:?E r9:67D 492:C>2? v6?] |2C< |:==6J[ 6249 @7 H9@>[ :? D@>6 >2??6C[ H96E96C 3C:67=J @C F?H2G6C:?8=J[ DFAA@CE65 %CF>A :? H2JD E96J H@F=5 4@>6 E@ AF3=:4=J C68C6E 鈥 @?=J E@ E96? 36 5:D>:DD65 2D :?4@>A6E6?E[ DEFA:5 @C H@CD6] x? |:==6J鈥橠 42D6[ E92E :?4=F565 %CF>A鈥橠 DF886DE:@? E92E E96 564@C2E65 86?6C2= 36 6I64FE65]k^Am
kAmp82:?DE E9:D EC@F3=:?8 324<5C@A[ E96 4@?8C6DD>2? 7C@> q2<6CD7:6=5[ H9@ 2??@F?465 =2DE H66< 96 H@F=5 C6D:8? 2E J62C鈥橠 6?5[ C6A62E65=J 42>6 E@ %CF>A鈥橠 2:5[ @7E6? 5:DA6?D:?8 ?2CC2E:G6D 2E @55D H:E9 @3;64E:G6 724ED[ 6G6? 2E E:>6D 4@?EC25:4E:?8 9:D @H? H@C5D]k^Am
kAmqFE H96? E96 E:>6 42>6 7@C %CF>A E@ C6A2J |4r2CE9J鈥橠 =@?8\DE2?5:?8 2?5 7C6BF6?E=J 23DFC5 762=EJ[ E96 7@C>6C AC6D:56?E 3642>6 @55=J 2?5 F?492C24E6C:DE:42==J D:=6?E]k^Am
kAmp C6D@F?5:?8 %CF>A 6?5@CD6>6?E 324< :? y2?F2CJ[ H96? |4r2CE9J H2D 6?5FC:?8 2? 6>32CC2DD:?8 DF446DD:@? @7 72:=FC6D 367@C6 7:?2==J H:??:?8 E96 DA62<6CD9:A @? E96 `dE9 32==@E[ @C :? ~4E@36C[ 2D E96 w@FD6 H2D AC6A2C:?8 E@ G@E6 @? H96E96C E@ @FDE 9:>[ @C 2E 2?J E:>6 :? 36EH66?[ DEC@?8[ F?>:DE2<23=6 H@C5D @7 DFAA@CE 7C@> E96 %67=@? s@? H@F=5 DFC6=J 92G6 D2G65 |4r2CE9J鈥橠 A@=:E:42= 42C66C]k^Am
kAmqFE ]]]聽k6>m4C:4<6ED]k^6>mk^Am
kAm鈥渱J z6G:?[鈥 =67E E@ EH:DE :? E96 H:?5 27E6C 36:?8 @DEC24:K65 3J E96 :?4C62D:?8=J C23:5 C:89E[ :D ?@H 鈥渜J6 z6G:?[鈥 2?5 2 ?6H H2G6 @7 6?23=6CD 92D E2<6? E96 w@FD6 C6:?D]k^Am
kAm%CF>A鈥橠 H:==:?8?6DD E@ =62G6 DFAA@CE6CD 92?8:?8 @FE E@ 5CJ >2J F=E:>2E6=J AC@G6 9:D 56>:D6i u@C>6C 4@?7:52?ED F?56C :?5:4E>6?E :? E96 uF=E@? r@F?EJ[ v2][ 2?5 7656C2= 4C:>:?2= 42D6D 2C6 AFCDF:?8 =682= DEC2E68:6D 7@4FD65 @? D6=7\AC6D6CG2E:@?[ H9:49 42? @?=J 3:E6 %CF>A :? E96 E2:=]k^Am
kAmu@C |4r2CE9J[ E96 ddE9 2?5 D9@CE6DE\D6CG:?8 w@FD6 DA62<6C :? 9:DE@CJ W?@E 4@F?E:?8 E96 8FJ H9@ =2DE65 @?6 52J :? `gehX[ :E ?665 ?@E 92G6 366? E9:D H2J]k^Am
kAmx 92G6 2C8F65 >F=E:A=6 E:>6D :? E9:D DA246 E92E |4r2CE9J 4@F=5 2?5 D9@F=5 92G6 492CE65 2 5:776C6?E 4@FCD6j 96 H2D A@AF=2C 6?@F89 :? 9:D r6?EC2= r2=:7@C?:2 5:DEC:4E E@ 92G6 @FE=2DE65 %CF>A鈥橠 56DECF4E:G6 C6:8?] x?DE625[ 96 49@D6 E@ :8?@C6 H92E 9:D @H? 6J6D[ 62CD 2?5 DFAA@D65=J :>A64423=6 A@=:E:42= D6?D6 E@=5 9:> 2?5[ 7@C 2=>@DE 6:89E J62CD[ =:6 @? 3692=7 @7 2 =:2C]k^Am
kAm(9J 5:5 96 BF:E 2 >@?E9 27E6C 567:2?E=J A@DE:?8[ 鈥渪 ?6G6C BF:E鈥漬 !6C92AD 3642FD6 E96 :562 @7 9:D 56>@E:@? 7C@> DA62<6C @7 E96 w@FD6 E@ 324<36?496C 8C25F2==J 3642>6 E@@ >F49 E@ 362C]k^Am
kAm!6C92AD 96 C62D@?65 E92E :7 E96 A6@A=6 96 92D C6AC6D6?E65 7@C `f J62CD 925?鈥橢 >:DD65 9:> 2== E92E >F49 H9:=6 96 H2D AC6@44FA:65 H:E9 A6CD@?2= 2>3:E:@? 2?5 DA6?5:?8 S` >:==:@? :? 42>A2:8? 7F?5D @? 3:8\>@?6J 5@?@CD 2E E96 Sb[___\A6C\?:89E %6CC2?62 #6D@CE[ ?@E9:?8 6=D6 >F49 >2EE6C65[ ?@E 6G6? 9:D 5:DEC:4E鈥橠 =:EE=6\492?865 962=E9 2?5 A@G6CEJ 4@?46C?D[ H9:49 2C6 2>@?8 E96 >@DE D6C:@FD :? E96 ?2E:@?]k^Am
kAm|4r2CE9J鈥橠 D49>2=EKJ C6D:8?2E:@? G:56@ 9:E *@F%F36 E96 D2>6 H66< 9:D 4@==628F6\EFC?65\25G6CD2CJ[ 7@C>6C (J@>:?8 #6A] {:K r96?6J[ C6=62D65 96C ?6H 3@@<[ 鈥渵2E9 2?5 w@?@C]鈥 r96?6J[ G@E65 @FE 3J (J@>:?8 G@E6CD F?92AAJ H:E9 96C :?D:DE6?46 @? AC:?4:A=65 @AA@D:E:@? E@ E96 @?8@:?8 %CF>A:2? 492@D[ C6G62=D H9J |4r2CE9J >256 E92E EC:A E@ |2C\2\{28@ E@ D66 %CF>A E9C66 H66<D 27E6C E96 y2?] e[ a_a`[ :?DFCC64E:@?] p44@C5:?8 E@ |4r2CE9J[ r96?6J HC:E6D[ 鈥%CF>A鈥橠 ?@E 62E:?8[ D@ E96J 2D<65 >6 E@ 4@>6 D66 9:>]鈥 W%@ H9:49 %CF>A =2E6C A@DE65 :? C6DA@?D6i }@[ 96 H2D 2?8CJ 2?5 鈥62E:?8 E@@ >F49鈥 2E E96 E:>6] p?J@?6 H9@ 92D D66? %CF>A :? 2 8@=7 A@=@ <?@HD H9:49 DE@CJ :D >@C6 =:<6=J]Xk^Am
kAm!@@C E:>:?8[ A2CE ai |4r2CE9J鈥橠 C6D:8?2E:@? 4@>6D ;FDE 2D q2<6CD7:6=5 AC6A2C6D[ 2?J 52J ?@H[ E@ D?:A E96 C:33@? @? E96 =@?8\2H2:E65 r6?E6??:2= r@CC:5@C 7C66H2J 4@??64E@C[ A2:5 7@C :? DF3DE2?E:2= A2CE 3J |4r2CE9J鈥橠 AC65646DD@C[ 9:D @?6E:>6 >6?E@C 2?5[ :? C646?E J62CD[ 92CD9 3FE DA@E\@? 4C:E:4[ q:== %9@>2D] %96 7@C>6C 492:C>2? @7 E96 w@FD6 (2JD 2?5 |62?D r@>>:EE66 =67E r@?8C6DD :? a__f H:E9 2 Seg_ >:==:@? A2CE:?8 8:7E 7@C 5:DEC:4E EC2?DA@CE2E:@? 6?92?46>6?ED E@ 8@ H:E9 9:D Sbc >:==:@? 2:C E6C>:?2= 2?5 S` >:==:@? q2<6CD7:6=5 r@==686 A=2?6E2C:F> FA8C256]k^Am
kAm|4r2CE9J鈥橠 =6824J =@@<D 2 =:EE=6 E9:? :? 4@>A2C:D@?]k^Am
kAmp?5 D@ H6 3:5 72C6H6== E@ E96 =2DE @7 E96 *@F?8 vF?D[ E96 EC:@ @7 4@?8C6DD:@?2= ?6H4@>6CD H9@[ H6 H6C6 E@=5[ H@F=5 C6D92A6 E96 w@FD6 @7 #6AC6D6?E2E:G6D 2?5 p>6C:42 :ED6=7] %96J DH6AE :?E@ @77:46 2C@F?5 E96 D2>6 E:>6 鈥 tC:4 r2?E@C[ E96 3@@<:D9 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6 7C@> ':C8:?:2[ @FDE65 3J 2 492==6?86C 7C@> E96 C:89E :? a_`cj !2F= #J2?[ E96 64@?@>:42==J D2GGJ C6AC6D6?E2E:G6 7C@> (:D4@?D:? H9@ C@D6 E@ DA62<6C 3FE[ 5:D4@FC2865 3J E96 5JD7F?4E:@? @7 9:D @H? A2CEJ[ @AE65 ?@E E@ D66< C66=64E:@? :? a_`gj 2?5 |4r2CE9J[ E96 =2DE >2? DE2?5:?8[ H9@ H@F=5 D2J @C 5@ ;FDE 23@FE 2?JE9:?8 E@ 24BF:C6 E92E 82G6=]k^Am
kAmtG6? AC@DEC2E6 9:>D6=7 2E E96 2=E2C @7 2 >2? H9@D6 :562 @7 =@J2=EJ 362CD ?@ C6D6>3=2?46 E@ J@FCD[ >:?6 @C[ D25=J[ z6G:? |4r2CE9J鈥橠]k^Am