Kevin McCarthy Visited Mar-A-Lago After Jan. 6 Capitol Riots Because Staffers Said Donald Trump Was 'Not Eating' — 'He's Really Depressed'

Rep. Kevin McCarthy‘s (R-Calif.) heavily criticized Mar-a-Lago visit, post the Capitol riots, was prompted by concerns over former President Donald Trump‘s mental well-being.

What Happened: Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyom.), in her upcoming book, “Oath and Honor,” elaborates on McCarthy’s controversial Mar-a-Lago visit. The then-House Minority Leader from California, McCarthy, visited Trump just three weeks after the violent Capitol attack, invoking widespread criticism, Business Insider reported.

McCarthy, when asked about his visit, told Cheney, “They’re really worried…Trump’s not eating, so they asked me to come see him.”

“What? You went to Mar-a-Lago because Trump’s not eating?” Cheney responded.

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“Yeah, he’s really depressed,” McCarthy said, according to Cheney, who was then serving as the chair of the House Republican Conference.

Why It Matters: McCarthy justified his visit to Trump by pointing towards party unity in the face of the 2022 midterm elections. However, Cheney reveals that several Republicans felt “angry and disgusted” over McCarthy’s visit.

“Some mocked him, circulating the Trump/McCarthy photo along with the clip from the movie Jerry Maguire where Tom Cruise tells Renée Zellweger, ‘You.. complete… me,” Cheney wrote in the book.

The book, set to be released on Dec. 5, also sheds light on the internal conflicts within the Republican party, including McCarthy’s removal from the speakership in October 2023.

Cheney, long regarded as a potential future leader within the GOP party, clashed with Trump following the Jan. 6 riots. She played a prominent role as the vice chair of the House committee investigating the events of the Capitol riots. Despite seeking reelection in 2022, she was defeated in the Wyoming GOP primary by now-Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyom.).

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