McCarthy, who is often regarded as a front-runner for the speakership if the GOP wins back the lower chamber in next year's midterm elections, says the former president wants to see him replace Speaker Nancy Pelosi, while the California Republican is urging Trump to run for his old position.
"You know, I've talked to President Trump many times. He tells me he wants me to be speaker, and I think he should be president," McCarthy told Fox News's Brian Kilmeade on Friday.
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Trump has already taunted a 2024 presidential bid and showed support for Republicans' goal of reclaiming the House in the 2022 midterm elections, announcing during remarks in February at the Conservative Political Action Conference that he won't start a new party because he's concentrated on electing Republicans.
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"We're not starting new parties. You know, they kept saying, 'He's gonna start a brand new party.' We have the Republican Party," he said. "It's going to unite and be stronger than ever before. I am not starting a new party."
With the thought increasing that the party is breaking into pro-and anti-Trump sides, McCarthy also defended another potential 2024 contender, former Vice President Mike Pence, from charges from the Right that he betrayed Trump by confirming President Joe Biden's victory on Jan. 6.
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"Mike Pence is not a traitor," he said. "I just saw Mike Pence last week. Mike Pence served as, not only as a member of Congress which I served with him, one of the most conservative members. He was the governor of Indiana, and he was the vice president who stood right by President Trump, [who] helped him get through the tax reform [and] get those judges in presiding over the Senate as well. Mike Pence deserves a lot of credit."
On Friday, Pence was taunted as a "traitor" when he went up the stage at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference in Orlando, Florida. "It is great to be back with so many patriots dedicated to faith and freedom and the road to the majority," Pence said as he took the stage. Moments later, a woman could be heard shouting "traitor," while others yelled "boo" as the crowd erupted during his remarks.
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Though Trump and Pence had a close relationship during their term in office, with Pence shepherding through much of Trump's fancied policies in his role as president of the Senate, the latter approved that the pair might never "see eye to eye on" the events of Jan. 6. While Trump said Pence needed the "courage" to overturn the 2020 election results, Pence, who affirmed Biden's victory after a mob overtook the Capitol in an attempt to delay the certification, expressed a different view of the day's events.
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