About this episode
Just days after House Democrats announced impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump in 2019, House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faced an unwanted pressure campaign from the president’s closest allies. McCarthy refused — centrists, he believed, would have more credibility when they called foul on the Democrats’ impeachment process. Trump allies, meanwhile, would be dismissed by persuadable voters as knee-jerk partisans playing to an audience of one. That strategy has now flown the coop. McCarthy this week rewarded Trump’s most bombastic allies — including some of the members who initially opposed him as speaker — with seats on the high-profile House Oversight Committee, ground zero for the GOP’s investigations of President Joe Biden. Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter