Nov 29, 2023
Kevin McCarthy HUMILIATED As Stunning Trump Cover Story Falls Apart
Kevin McCarthy and Donald Trump get put in the spotlight during CNN segment with Jake Tapper after McCarthy's bizarre Trump travel story is unveiled in Liz Cheney's new book. John Iadarola and Francesca Fiorentini break it down on The Damage Report.
- 7 minutes
>> Speaker 1: Cheney, Mar-a-Lago.
What the hell, Kevin?
Kevin McCarthy, they're really worried.
Trump's not eating, so
they asked me to come see him.
Cheney, what?
You went to Mar-a-Lago
because Trump's not eating?
[00:00:16]
McCarthy, yeah, he's really depressed.
>> [LAUGH] That is an excerpt from
Liz Cheney book about why Kevin McCarthy,
not too long after the events of
January 6th and after Kevin McCarthy
publicly criticized Donald Trump and
implied that he was responsible for
[00:00:33]
the violence of January 6th, traveled
down to Mar-a-Lago to go talk to Trump.
And the explanation is he needed to go,
Trump was really depressed about it.
And I know that period was really hard for
Trump, so hard that he's not even eating.
[00:00:50]
He's lost his appetite.
And look, I think this overall
story deserves analysis.
I understand that everybody's
gonna focus on the food part,
even Jake Tapper had
a little bit of fun with it.
Take a look at this.
>> Speaker 3: I love the one of
McCarthy saying that he had to go down
[00:01:05]
to Mar-a-Lago, because Donald was
depressed and he wasn't eating.
>> Speaker 1: He's not eating.
>> Speaker 3: First of all,
that alone, I find surprising.
But just cuz he's a man
of healthy appetites,
I don't mean that disparagingly.
But the idea that he would even try
to pedal that malarkey to Liz Cheney,
[00:01:23]
I find amazing.
>> Speaker 2: What does Jake Tapper think?
I don't mean that disparagingly means,
that's exactly why you're saying that.
That was disparagingly.
And by the way, I don't even understand
the point that Jake Tapper is making
because we already know from Trump's
medical exams what his stats are.
[00:01:40]
If he loses appetite,
that is a concern because he's 6th'3, 215.
That's what's been reported.
At that height, he doesn't have
much excess weight to lose.
Look, I'm making fun of Trump for
lying about this situation.
That said, I am gonna be a little
bit of a Buzz Killington.
[00:01:57]
The entire DC infrastructure is
gonna use this opportunity for
a round of fat shaming Donald Trump or
whatever when I get it.
Donald Trump is bad, but
there's worse things.
Anyway, I'm Buzz Killington,
you're Francesca Fiorentini.
What do you think I am?
[00:02:13]
>> Speaker 4: No, well, look,
people in the chat are gonna get
mad if I call him a fat POS.
It just slimes around Mar-a-Lago,
just his man titties dragging behind him,
sadly, as he listens to what is memories.
[00:02:31]
But look, he's not starving.
We all know Trump has Halloween
candy under his mattress.
He's got Sour Patch Kids and
he's got little mini Snickers.
Fun size, fun size would be huge.
He's crying and eating his little candies,
which is great.
[00:02:48]
Look, everyone has their little stash.
But here's what I will
say about this story,
I don't care about whether he's eating or
not eating.
It makes me happy that Trump is sad.
[00:03:04]
So any story that's like
Trump was depressed,
I immediately feel good in my heart.
Does that make me a bad person?
I don't think so.
>> Speaker 2: I mean,
a case could be made.
No, yes, look, am I a perfect person?
[00:03:20]
No, do I draw some pleasure from
the worst person in the world,
perhaps being depressed?
Kind of, yes.
>> Speaker 2: Yeah, he lost.
>> I do actually draw a little bit.
>> Speaker 4: He knows he lost.
>> Speaker 2: Yes and look,
he didn't get to be president anymore.
[00:03:36]
He still did a whole bunch of damage and
he might well do more damage.
But for a period,
he didn't get what he wanted.
It was one of the first times in his
life he didn't get what he wanted and
that's good, because what he wants
is terrible and he's terrible and
everything is terrible.
[00:03:52]
More importantly, though,
Liz Cheney's reporting it in
the book as if maybe she buys it.
I don't know that I accept that.
That's why Kevin McCarthy went.
Was Trump a little bit depressed?
Sure, but this was Kevin McCarthy
going to kiss the ring.
[00:04:08]
That's what he was doing.
Kevin McCarthy like some Republicans in
the immediate aftermath of January 6th
which was, it's now all been normalized
that we just have coups sometimes.
But at that point, I will remind you,
some people were like, dear God,
have we crossed a line that
we should never have crossed?
[00:04:24]
And even some Republicans like
Kevin McCarthy briefly were like, God,
this is gonna make us look terrible.
Trump bears responsibility for what he
did and I think it's reprehensible that.
All of you in the base
don't really mind or
[00:04:40]
you just wish that it had been successful?
Well, I actually don't
have a problem anymore.
A couple of weeks have gone by,
I'm gonna go travel down to Mar-a-Lago and
have a nice dinner with Donald Trump and
that's the part that really bothers me.
It's that this was kissing the ring again.
[00:04:56]
This was crossing that line again.
What do you think?
>> The timeline is after Jan 6th,
I'm thinking this is the first week.
>> Speaker 2: No, I think this is.
>> Okay.
>> That's what it is.
>> Speaker 4: We all know that yes,
after Jan 6th, he did go down.
[00:05:12]
And yeah, exactly as you said, John.
Waited a little bit and
then was like, I'm needed.
Okay, I guess it's not bad.
>> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 4: And
we just do coups really fast.
It felt like it might have been before.
But no, you might be right.
>> Speaker 2: Let me explain, so
there are references to him talking
to Trump right after the election.
[00:05:30]
>> Speaker 4: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: I am uncertain,
because the book covers a lot of ground.
It is possible that, that's what it is.
So in that case, perhaps it's just
the you get the shout, Freud.
I'm more worried.
Regardless, Kevin McCarthy did go
down to Mar-a-Lago to get the ring of
[00:05:46]
Donald Trump.
He may not have had this
cover story about it, but
regardless is the part of what
Kevin McCarthy did that I find more.
But anyway, I've got daddy baby brain.
I apologize, continue.
>> Speaker 4: No, no, I'm the one who's
asking you the hard questions, this story.
I mean, it's just Liz Cheney
selling her book, let's be real.
[00:06:04]
>> Speaker 2: That is also true.
>> Speaker 4: Here's my
question with these books.
These like, for
lack of a better term, I don't know.
They're not rhinos,
they're all just like former Trumpers.
They're people who love Trump's policies,
but don't like his vernier.
They're people who used to work for Trump.
I mean, Amarosa, let's be real.
She was the first one out with
a book if I'm not mistaken,
[00:06:22]
even Sean Spicer had a book.
So many books, people.
What if I did a podcast and I read all
of these books, so you didn't have to?
Would anyone listen to?
Think of the sad libs who watch CNN,
who devour these books and
[00:06:38]
are like, Liz Cheney is amazing or
the Dick Cheney's of the world.
Who's reading this?
I guess that's the dad, so the dad.
>> Speaker 2: Yeah, it might get
you a million followers on Twitter.
I don't know, there are some people who
have built that sort of a following that I
[00:06:55]
don't understand.
But anyway, you're gonna have
to try that out for yourself.
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The Damage Report: November 29, 2023
Hosts: John Iadarola Guests: Francesca Fiorentini
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