Nancy Mace rekindles feud with 'loser' Kevin McCarthy, saves some fire for the media

Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy should “get a job,” according to Rep. Nancy Mace, who suggested he may be “bored” since leaving Congress.

The South Carolina Republican was one of eight Republican lawmakers who voted last year to remove the gavel from McCarthy's hands after a few months as speaker. The congressman from California announced that he will retire from Congress at the end of 2023 after the historic vote. He has engaged in a war of words with Mace and others since his ouster.

“The former speaker needs to find a job, I think that's the problem,” Mace said in an interview on the Politico Playbook Deep Dive podcast that aired Friday.

“And you know what? He's a loser. He couldn't keep his job as president and left the Republican Party,” Mace added.

“He quit his job. He put most of us at risk,” Mace said.

She noted that she did not support McCarthy's “horrible” debt ceiling bill last May and is proud to be “a caucus of one,” adding that while she disagrees “with everything” with McCarthy's successor, Speaker Mike Johnson (R -La.), at least she considers him a “trustworthy man.

“When he says he's going to do something, I believe he's going to do it,” he said, in contrast to McCarthy, who he believes could not be trusted.

And the no-nonsense lawmaker doesn't seem to regret her vote to leave.

“Look, 75 percent of the country agreed with me on this vote, and I have the American people on my side, and again, it's not my fault that there are members of my own party who have tried to sabotage – us on different issues,” she said.

“I try not to live with regret. Life is hard enough, and I have to live with the decision I make and the vows I make,” added Mace.

He recalled McCarthy's “chaotic” leadership style.

“It was more behind closed doors, but it was also chaotic. There was yelling, there was cursing, you know, there were fights nearby,” he said.

Mace also addressed the media's attacks on her and thought it has a lot to do with the fact that she's not a man.

“The irony is that men can do it. But the moment I do it, a fiscally conservative woman, it's somehow not the same. … I do media interviews like a lot of my male peers, but I don't know He attacks them,” he said. “I don't see Tim Scott or Lindsey Graham being attacked like I am. And they're on TV more than I am.”

McCarthy hasn't held back on his personal view of his former colleagues and spoke specifically about Mace during a visit to Capitol Hill this week.

“I hope Nancy gets the help she needs, I really do,” McCarthy told reporters Tuesday. “I just hope he gets the help to get his life right. I mean he has a lot of challenges.”

“No one will continue to work for her,” he continued. “You can't have somebody who's just hanging around depending on what TV station they put on. You want somebody who's willing to work, and so I hope he gets that kind of help.”

Mace hit back at the “disgraced former speaker” for “talking too much over her shoulder” about her, writing on social media that while she “needs help”, she isn't the kind McCarthy is suggesting.

“Kevin McCarthy just can't help himself as I live rent free in his head. He got one thing right though; I need help,” she wrote.

Kevin McCarthy can't help himself as I live rent-free in his head. He got one thing right though; i need help I need your help to fight the corrupt DC establishment and their hand-picked puppet. Enter today >>https://t.co/yIo0S2PO55 pic.twitter.com/Q9FLlHLEgV

— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) February 19, 2024

“I need your help to fight the corrupt DC establishment and their hand-picked puppet,” he added, referring to one of his main opponents, Catherine Templeton.

Mace also spoke with Steve Bannon earlier this week, and reiterated his views on McCarthy.

“If he was willing to leave the party so quickly and put our majority at risk for revenge because eight patriots love their party more than Kevin McCarthy, that shows the kind of character he has,” Mace said.

Rep. Nancy Mace on Kevin McCarthy: 'He resigned from the Republican Party' @RepNancyMace pic.twitter.com/57Z8RYPNxt

— Grace Chong (@gc22gc) February 20, 2024

Senior Staff Writer
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida, where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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