Kevin McCarthy warns Donald Trump he'll lose in 2024 if his campaign is focused on revenge

WASHINGTON – Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., warned that if former President Donald Trump bases his reelection campaign on seeking revenge against his political enemies, he will lose the 2024 race.

McCarthy told New York Times reporter Andrew Ross Sorkin at the Dealbook Summit on Wednesday that he would vote for Trump in 2024 if he wins the Republican nomination, citing economic issues that have faced the nation during President Joe Biden's administration, such as high gas prices and inflation.

“I will tell you today, if Biden is the Democratic nominee, Trump will win, and Republicans will have a very big night,” McCarthy said.

While Sorkin pointed out that McCarthy has criticized the former president over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack and other moments from his term in the White House, McCarthy responded “I didn’t say he would be a great president. I said he’d be a better president than what we’re having. I said the country would be in a better place.”

But McCarthy said he believes Trump must base his campaign on the future of the country in order to win the race.

“If his campaign is about renew, rebuild, and restore, he’ll win,” McCarthy said. “If it is about revenge, he’ll lose. That’s – the only person that’s going to determine that is not his campaign ad. It’s him.”

McCarthy also said South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott would make a great running mate for the former president. However, if he were in Trump’s position and he were picking for purely political reasons, he would choose former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

Haley has seen a rise in some state and national polls for the Republican nomination as she has taken moderate stances on issues like abortion. She has also highlighted her foreign policy expertise on the debate stage as former U.N. ambassador.

“What it looks like today is the anti-Trump vote is going to Nikki Haley…you’re not gonna win if you just get all the Republicans. You need Republicans and Independents too,” he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: McCarthy warns Trump he'll lose in 2024 if he's focused on revenge