Former President Donald Trump has the ability to lead the Republican Party even after leaving office, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarty (R-Calif.) said Thursday.
“I think President Trump continues to have that ability to lead this party and unite. Yes, President Trump has the ability to lead this party,” McCarthy said when asked if Trump is the leader of the GOP during an appearance on Fox News.
McCarthy said that Trump “has been able to move us in the right direction, making America continue to build.”
During a briefing on Capitol Hill, the congressman said that every former president has remained active in their party for a period of time.
“This president brought a lot of great success within, he brought people to the party that hadn’t been involved in before, and he should continue to engage in that way,” he said.
“But the one thing, I got asked a question earlier about what should the Republican Party focus or who should be the leader within the party? And the one thing we learned in the last four years that President Trump brought forward, that he listened to voices that no one else was hearing. On either party. Those are the voices we should continue to hear.”
Trump’s plans after leaving office remain unclear. The Republican told supporters on Jan. 20 that “we will be back in some form.”
Jason Miller, a Trump campaign adviser who flew with Trump to Florida that day, has said Trump will be involved with rallying for Republican candidates during the 2022 elections.
Miller added this week that Trump will “emerge as the nation’s leader on ballot and voter integrity.”
