Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday called House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries a “thermometer” who will “never make a fast decision,” attacking his response to some Democrats calling on President Joe Biden to step down.
“Hakeem hates to make a decision. He'll never make a fast decision. He's doing exactly what he normally does: nothing,” the former Republican Speaker from California said in an interview on Fox News.
McCarthy argued the New York Democrat should make a declarative public statement on whether Biden should withdraw his candidacy for president, as several House Democrats have in the past week called on Biden to step down.
Instead, McCarthy criticized, Jeffries was letting the party decide for him:
“There's two types of leaders: You're either a thermometer or a thermostat. A thermostat can tell you the temperature and change it. Hakeem's a thermometer — he sits and lets the caucus decide where to go,” McCarthy said. “That's why you're seeing it on the House, a lot of members come out against Biden, and in the Senate you really don't have much. Not strong leadership, and he'll let the caucus get in front of him instead of stepping in front.”
Biden earlier Monday morning sent a long letter to congressional Democrats in which he defended his decision to stay in the race, hammered Donald Trump’s policies, and reiterated his campaign promises. “It is time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump,” Biden wrote.
The president sent the letter after four high-ranking House Democrats — including Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee — reportedly called on Biden to withdraw his candidacy.
