Speaking to reporters

on

For the first time since being ousted as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) took aim at his enemies during a walk.

almost

for hours

tech, it was like 50 minspress news

conference Tuesday evening.

McCarthy opened with a quote he attributed to President Lincoln

I’m pretty sure Lincoln never said this

: “I’m an optimist because I don’t see any other way.”

The ex-speaker’s comments were peppered with

other cheerful clichés.

‘I wouldn’t change anything

,

he claimed.

“Doing the right thing is not always easy, but it is necessary,” he added. He called his time as the 55th Speaker of the House of Representatives, which lasted 269 days, “one of the greatest honors.”

He assures reporters that he has no regrets.

“I don’t regret standing up for choosing governance over resentment,” McCarthy said. “I have no regrets about the negotiations, our government is designed to find compromises. I have no regrets about my efforts to build coalitions and find solutions. I was raised to solve problems and not create them. So maybe I lost the mood today, but as I walk out of this room, I feel fortunate to have served the American people.”

After telling his past, he grew up in Bakersfield, ran a sandwich shop and became the first in his family to graduate from college

by

In college, McCarthy spoke of his defeat at the hands of Democrats in the House of Representatives and a small group of Republican Party rebels.

About who will succeed him as speaker

The former speaker dropped the question of whether he would run again for the position he just lost, saying he would not. Asked whether he would consider resigning from the House of Representatives, McCarthy said, “I haven’t thought about that yet.”

What advice do you have for the next speaker? a reporter asked.

Change the rules, McCarthy said, to a room full of laughter.

What he said about his nemesis

McCarthy criticized Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican who forced the vote to impeach him.

You all know Matt Gaetz. You know it was personal,” McCarthy told reporters, growing impressed. ‘It had nothing to do with expenses. … Everything he accused someone of, he did. It was about getting attention.

Gaetz is reportedly the target of a mystery

House Ethics Committee investigates reports of sexual and other misconduct.

A separate Ministry of Justice

According to Gaetz, the investigation was concluded earlier this year without charges.

McCarthy noted that Gaetz sent out fundraising appeals in honor of his decision to push McCarthy out.

McCarthy said he confided in Pelosi

McCarthy said he confided in former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) about the problems he had getting elected speaker earlier this year. McCarthy faced fierce opposition from far-right members of his own party, including Gaetz. One of the concessions conservatives asked for was a rule whereby one person would call for McCarthy’s impeachment, a rule that ultimately led to his downfall.

“She said, ‘Give it to them. I’ll always have your back,'” McCarthy said.

Pelosi’s spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

reaching for Pelosi’s nonsense about conservatism

McCarthy’s impeachment followed his deal on Saturday with Democrats on an emergency bill to continue funding the government and prevent a shutdown. Gaetz and other Republicans who voted with him mentioned th

by vote as

moment that broke their trust in McCarthy.

McCarthy denounced the far-right Republicans who voted against him, saying, “They are not conservatives.”

“If you were a conservative, and you vote against securing the border, you vote against cutting funding, this wasteful spending, and then you work with all the Democrats,” McCarthy said. “That’s not conservative.”