Kevin McCarthy - the man who empowered the US President

President Trump and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy in West Palm Beach, Florida. Photo: Internet

Winning the President's Heart with Starburst Candy

Last October, during a domestic trip, US President Donald Trump and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy sat together in the presidential cabin of Air Force One to Washington state.

The president reached for a handful of Starburst, a brand of square gummy candies. But instead of unwrapping the entire bar, he picked at the cherry and strawberry flavors, McCarthy recalled.

“We sat there, and there seemed to be an invisible distance, and then he offered me a few,” McCarthy recalled in an interview with The Washington Post.

“They’re red and pink,” two Trump aides later whispered to McCarthy about the candies. “Those are the president’s favorite colors.”

Days later, the number two Republican in the House of Representatives—known for his relentless efforts to expand his political coalition—ordered a significant amount of Starburst candy.

He asked a staff member to sort and sort the jar so that there were only two flavors. McCarthy tried to get his name on the gift, as a way to curry favor with the president, a White House official recounted, revealing how many top Republicans cultivated relationships with Trump.

Donald Trump's friend

The move also underscored McCarthy’s unique role as a friend of President Donald Trump, a troublemaker over the past year. The apparent courtship also irked Democrats and many Republicans.

From midterm election discussions at Camp David to bipartisan meetings on immigration, McCarthy, 52, has deftly positioned himself as a close confidant of President Trump in Congress, an approachable Republican.

President Donald Trump has made no secret of his relationship with the Republican leader, even enjoying the loyalty of the senior leader.

Kevin McCarthy has also been a staunch supporter of President Trump throughout the recent anti-immigrant rhetoric scandal. He also stood behind the US President when Trump declared that he was not a racist and would never make such comments.

President Trump shakes hands with Kevin McCarthy in the Roosevelt Room of the White House last June. Photo: The Washington Post

Last week, during a meeting at the White House, President Trump appeared to be in a hurry to agree with Democratic lawmakers on an immigration deal without conditions, protecting many immigrants brought to the United States as children from deportation.

At that point, McCarthy quickly jumped in and said, “Mr. President, you need to be clear though… You need security,” McCarthy said, reminding Trump to back off the idea.

The ability to adapt to the situation without offending the president allowed Republicans to continue the meeting while still moving the discussion their way.

At Camp David earlier this month, McCarthy took on the task of explaining the obstacles Republicans face in the November midterm elections.

He has navigated financial hurdles and bleak scenarios in a series of races, while urging President Trump to do everything he can to raise money for the wounded Republican Party.

President Trump seemed to enjoy McCarthy's presentation, which featured images and charts rather than bullet points or numbers. It was a basic, 'foundational' presentation that explained the president's schedule leading up to the midterm elections.

A White House official who attended the meeting said Trump may not have paid much attention to the other presentations except McCarthy, which could be a sign of the trust the US president has in him.

As Trump sent mixed signals through angry Twitter messages that frustrated many Republicans, McCarthy told colleagues that the president would not change and the best thing to do was to accept him as he was.

McCarthy's critics call him an executive interested only in improving his standing in the House by aligning himself with the standards that make up the Republican Party's base.

Some people are worried that McCarthy's actions to please Trump will make the President more comfortable to act, rather than restrain him. That could be the test that the Republicans will give McCarthy in the coming time./.