Kevin McCarthy and Donald Trump plan to meet in early May.

Then you will see more clearly how the relationship between the two is.

For the Republican minority leader in the House of Representatives, who wants to replace Nancy Pelosi as “speaker” after the congressional elections in the fall, the last few days have not been pleasant.

Majid Sattar

Political correspondent for North America based in Washington.

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It started with the New York Times reporting that McCarthy had asked Trump to resign in a telephone call four days after January 6, 2021, i.e. after the storming of the Capitol: In a conversation with Liz Cheney, at the time number three in of the parliamentary group, and other leaders, with regard to the impeachment against the President-elect, he said it was clear that the House of Representatives would approve the impeachment.

He also believes it is possible that the Senate will reach a guilty verdict.

He will therefore tell Trump that he believes the Senate will condemn him.

Therefore, it was his advice that he resign of his own accord.

The background was a debate in the parliamentary group over the question of whether the 25th amendment could be applied, which clarifies the succession when a president dies, resigns or is removed from office for incapacity.

Two days earlier, McCarthy had called Trump's behavior before and during the storming of the Capitol "disgusting and completely wrong" in a telephone switchboard and had himself brought up the 25th amendment to the constitution.

Trump accused McCarthy of making "false" claims

The release was just the beginning.

McCarthy categorically rejected the account: It was "completely wrong," he said.

The newspaper then published the recording.

Finally, she made another recording that had been leaked to her public.

This is from January 11, 2021, i.e. the day after the first phone call.

Shortly before, McCarthy had spoken to Trump.

In the second recording, the leader of the group can be heard saying that he wants to make it clear to everyone what he said to the President: "He is responsible for his words and his actions.

No ifs or buts.” Then: “I personally asked him (Trump) today: is he responsible for what happened?” He, Trump, replied that he had some responsibility and that he had to acknowledge it.

A second denial followed.

This time from Trump: McCarthy's claim that he admitted complicity in the attack was "false".

Trump's reaction comes as no surprise.

The investigative committee has now come to the conclusion that sufficient evidence has been collected that Trump has committed a criminal offense.

Committee members disagree only over whether to formally request the Justice Department to press charges.

Some have expressed concern that it would politicize Attorney General Merrick Garland's investigation.

McCarthy's 180 degree turn

As interesting as the recordings are for the parliamentary and legal processing of the riot of January 6, which led to the fact that the certification of Joe Biden's election victory had to be interrupted by Congress, they are: apart from the fact that Trump is said to have admitted responsibility, contain little that is new.

It was known that there was a bang between McCarthy and Trump immediately after the Capitol was stormed.

Likewise, the debate about forcing the resignation of the president or deposing him before the end of his term of office two weeks later.

The consequences of the publication for the power structure in the Republican party are more interesting.