McCarthy says he has no interest in leading RNC

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) brushed off the idea of throwing his name in the ring to lead the Republican National Committee (RNC) as it seeks to regroup following several challenging election cycles.

“No, no, no,” McCarthy told reporters Thursday night, waving his hand when asked about the possible role by NBC’s Vaughn Hillyard.

McCarthy, who left Congress at the end of 2023, was at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip for former President Trump’s Nevada caucuses victory party.

Trump has said he will make “recommendations” for the future of the RNC after the South Carolina GOP primary later this month, where polls show him leading former former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

The RNC has trailed Democrats in recent fundraising, and Trump has complained that the national party isn’t doing enough to support him.

Allies of the former president have urged the party to coalesce around his bid to take on President Biden in November after Trump won the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary last month.

Embattled RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel is expected to step down from the post after the Feb. 24 primary in South Carolina.

McCarthy, who has long been a Trump ally though has acknowledged the pair have “an interesting relationship,” left Congress at the end of December after suffering an embarrassing ouster from the Speakership just nine months into the role.

Eight Republicans helped Democrats vote him out of the post, and the House GOP spent the next couple of weeks determining his replacement before settling on House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

When McCarthy announced his retirement from Congress after nearly 17 years in the seat, he said he was considering working to link the realms of artificial intelligence (AI) and politics.

“AI is where California is going to come back,” he told Axios last year. “The knowledge and capability of AI is streaming from California.”

A prolific campaign fundraiser, McCarthy said he would continue to lift GOP candidates and plans to write a memoir.