Kevin McCarthy calls Gavin Newsom's leadership a 'failure,' warns California is on 'downward slope'

"What a failure," McCarthy said. "You look at how many people left the state, you look how people look at the state, you look at the homelessness, you lool [sic] the major corporations that are generating income here have left. We're on a downward slope."

"If Republicans were smart, and they powered on the idea, we could actually come out of the primary with only two Republicans," he explained. "It's not any sure thing, but it's a unique strategy that can work. It's not fighting with one another; it's generating more people to come because it's an open primary."

McCarthy went on to assess the 11 candidates vying to replace Newsom, who is term-limited, seven of whom recently participated in a debate in San Francisco on Feb. 3.

"You look at the Democrats - so many running and so many who are not qualified," McCarthy said. "Like, Eric Swalwell is not qualified to be governor. He's not qualified to actually run for governor."

While speaking at Harvard University in November, McCarthy explained how the MAGA pull Trump benefited from in the 2024 election does not transfer to his Republican counterparts.

"People think you can just have what President Trump has. No, he's earned it. He's earned through a lot of years," he said. "He's taken on people before, so they see that strength behind it. You can't just be anointed. You have to earn where you go."

"They're turning over the floor to Democrats - that's a bad sign," McCarthy said. "They're fighting among themselves."

He added the record-length government shutdown was a mistake that gave away "two months" of a two-year majority. Republicans are clinging to a tiny advantage in the House right now, and oddsmakers say Democrats are likely to retake control in November.

"When they secured the border, why didn't you go to the border? Why didn't you show people, all these people aren't coming across anymore, that it's safe," he said.