Kevin McCarthy says Trump foes Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger will 'have a hard time ever' returning to Congress

• Kevin McCarthy refused to defend two of his colleagues after the RNC's formal censure

• He suggested that Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger's congressional careers are over.

• "I think those two individuals will have a hard time ever coming back to Congress," McCarthy said.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Friday that Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger's congressional careers are effectively over, declining to support them after the Republican National Committee's censure.

"I think those two individuals will have a hard time ever coming back to Congress," McCarthy said on Fox News.

McCarthy, who once counted Cheney as one of his top deputies, sounded bemused as he pointed out that Kinzinger is "quitting" and that Cheney "has a very low poll rating in Wyoming."

The RNC formally censured the two Republicans on Friday, citing their participation in the House January 6 Committee as evidence of their apostasy against the party. The resolution refers to the committee's "persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse." After intense criticism, RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel later clarified that the resolution did not intend to refer to the ransacking of the Capitol as "legitimate political discourse."

Unlike Kinzinger, Cheney is running for reelection in the face of a Trump-backed primary opponent. CNN reported that McCarthy has thus far declined to take a position on whether he would support Cheney. Traditionally, the party supports all incumbents in the event of a contested race.

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