Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) predicted on X Saturday that Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who was ousted as Speaker in October, would be the next member to leave Congress following the expulsion of George Santos on Friday.

“With Santos gone, you’re hearing it here first: the next GOP member to leave Congress will be @SpeakerMcCarthy. No way he stays,” the California Democrat wrote Saturday on X. “A guy who kidney punches his colleagues from behind is too afraid to serve out a full term with them. I bet he’s gone by the end of the year. What say you?”

With Santos gone, you’re hearing it here first: the next GOP member to leave Congress will be @SpeakerMcCarthy. No way he stays. A guy who kidney punches his colleagues from behind is too afraid to serve out a full term with them. I bet he’s gone by end of year. What say you?

— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) December 2, 2023

Accusations

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) accused McCarthy last month during an NPR interview of punching him in the hallway when the two passed each other.

McCarthy denies that he punched Burchett, who was one of the seven House members who voted to oust him.

There is also bad blood between McCarthy and Swalwell, stemming from McCarthy's action when he was speaker to deny Swalwell a seat on the Intelligence Committee.

McCarthy had a good reason for his decision: Swalwell had an allegedly sexual relationship with Christine Fang, who was discovered to be a Chinese Spy.

Even if Swalwell's relationship with Fang was not sexual, she worked for his campaign and did fundraising for him.

McCarthy waffling

McCarthy has denied that he will leave Congress and said he will run for re-election in 2024.

His declaration is in conflict with comments he made during an interview following an appearance at the New York Times DealBook summit in New York.

“I just went through losing, so you go through different stages,” said the former speaker, according to the Times. “I have to know that when I go, that there’s a place for me, and what am I going to do, and is that best?”

“I have to know that if I decided that wasn’t for me and I leave, I don’t want a year from now to think ‘Aw, I regret — I shouldn’t have left,’” he continued. “So if I take a little longer than most people normally, that’s just what I’m going through.”

Those comments show that he is thinking about leaving Congress, no matter what he has said previously.

It's smart to consider his options. Why would he want to stay in Congress after being ousted as speaker, if he has a better offer?