In a heated interview on Monday, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy didn’t hold back as he sparred with NBC News hosts. His main target? What he saw as a glaring double standard when it comes to how President Trump is treated by the media and Democrats.
The discussion kicked off when McCarthy joined NBC just after President Biden issued some last-minute pardons for five family members, just as he was preparing to leave office.
The hosts quickly raised the topic of how Republicans were criticizing Biden’s pardons, especially when it comes to Trump’s campaign promise to consider pardoning individuals tied to the January 6 Capitol riot. McCarthy wasted no time, making his point loud and clear:
“Here’s the difference,” McCarthy began. “Trump promised that he would issue these pardons if elected, and that’s exactly what he’s doing. Biden, on the other hand, said he would never pardon his son, only to go and pardon his entire family at the very last minute. Why wait until the last moment? It doesn’t make sense to me, and it casts a shadow over his actions.”
McCarthy went on to argue that Biden’s timing and decisions were far from transparent, creating unnecessary doubt about his motives.
But the tension didn’t stop there. When McCarthy was asked about concerns that Trump might use the power of office for political revenge, McCarthy fired back at the Democrats instead. He reminded the hosts that it was actually the Democrats who had been using retribution against Trump and his team for years.
“Look, for years, all we’ve heard about is revenge from the Democrats,” McCarthy said. “When Trump left office, everyone who worked for him was blacklisted. Nobody could get a job, they faced legal battles, and all of a sudden, it felt like the tables had turned. It’s the other side that’s been pushing retribution, not Trump.”
He didn’t stop there. McCarthy also brought up how Trump’s opponents used legal and political pressure to damage his reputation, suggesting that in doing so, they helped elect him in the first place.
The conversation took another turn when McCarthy defended Trump’s actions regarding the classified documents case. NBC’s Savannah Guthrie tried to argue that Trump’s handling of classified documents was a violation of the law, but McCarthy wasn’t having it.
“Well, let’s not forget that President Biden had classified documents sitting in his garage,” McCarthy countered, clearly frustrated. “When Biden was a senator, he was never allowed to take classified documents. But now, when he’s president, the rules change? It’s not fair treatment.”
McCarthy wrapped up the conversation by saying, “When people say Trump might do something in the future, we need to give him the chance first. If he does something wrong, then we can talk about it, but for now, the nation deserves a chance to heal.”
It was a tense and pointed exchange, leaving viewers with more questions than answers about fairness, accountability, and the political landscape ahead.
