{"id":2588851,"date":"2026-04-09T11:07:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T15:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mccarthy-says-trump-has-usurped-congresss-power\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T11:09:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T15:09:39","slug":"mccarthy-says-trump-has-usurped-congresss-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mccarthy-says-trump-has-usurped-congresss-power\/","title":{"rendered":"McCarthy says Trump has &#8216;usurped&#8217; Congress&#8217;s power"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmccarthy-says-trump-has-usurped-congresss-power%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2588851&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy argued that president Donald Trump wields a level of political power not seen in decades, claiming that Congress has ceded its constitutional authority. Speaking at the Harvard Kennedy School, he compared Trump\u2019s influence to past presidents-saying Trump is more powerful than Ronald Reagan and perhaps even bigger than Newt Gingrich-and asserted that Trump is effectively both the whip and the speaker, a sign that Article I power has been usurped. McCarthy suggested this balance could be restored in a different political habitat and emphasized that the current situation is a much different play.He also defended Trump\u2019s unconventional foreign-policy approach, notably in negotiations with Iran, arguing that unpredictability can serve a strategic purpose if it helps prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The piece notes ongoing tensions around Iran\u2019s nuclear program and a fragile ceasefire, including Trump\u2019s statements about uranium enrichment and U.S. involvement, alongside iran\u2019s claims about enrichment and satellite surveillance.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">McCarthy says Trump has &lsquo;usurped&rsquo; Congress&rsquo;s power with role as &lsquo;whip and speaker&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2555897\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Former Speaker of the House <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kevin-mccarthy\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"12\">Kevin McCarthy<\/a> said President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donal-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11621\">Donald Trump<\/a> is operating with a level of political power not seen in decades, arguing that <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"31\">Congress<\/a> has ceded its constitutional authority.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking at the Harvard University Kennedy School Institute of Politics, McCarthy compared Trump&rsquo;s influence to that of past presidents, including <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ronald-reagan\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"813\">Ronald Reagan<\/a> and Franklin D. Roosevelt.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Right now, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/program\/public-affairs-event\/former-house-speaker-kevin-mccarthy-on-american-politics-and-the-republican-party\/676978\">Trump has more power than Reagan<\/a>,&rdquo; McCarthy said. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t seen a president like this in either party since Roosevelt.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>He argued that Trump is <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >effectively consolidating roles typically held<\/a> by congressional leadership.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s the whip and the speaker,&rdquo; McCarthy said, referencing the positions responsible for counting votes and setting the legislative agenda in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/news\/house\/\" type=\"category\" id=\"1250\">House<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>McCarthy tied that dynamic to what he described as a shift away from the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/constitution\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"424\">Constitution&rsquo;s<\/a> allocation of power. &ldquo;Article I is the power of Congress,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That has kind of been usurped right now.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Still, McCarthy suggested that balance could eventually return, noting that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-cnn-the-super-bowl-does-not-need-more-politics-it-needs-none\/\" title=\"No, CNN, The Super Bowl Does Not Need MORE Politics; It Needs None\">current political environment<\/a> is &ldquo;a much different play.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He also elevated Trump&rsquo;s political stature above that of past Republican leaders, including former Speaker of the House <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/newt-gingrich\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1026\">Newt Gingrich<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I would say Trump is much bigger than Newt,&rdquo; McCarthy said.<\/p>\n<p>On <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-red-wave-of-conservative-women-elected-to-congress\/\" title=\"The Red Wave of Conservative Women Elected to ...\">foreign policy<\/a>, McCarthy defended Trump&rsquo;s unconventional negotiation style, particularly in the context of negotiations in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"100\">Iran<\/a> war.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He will negotiate tough, where he will threaten everything, and nobody knows where he&rsquo;s going to go,&rdquo; McCarthy said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s unconventional. We may not be used to it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>But he argued that unpredictability could serve a strategic purpose.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If it denies [Iran] from having a nuclear weapon,&rdquo; McCarthy said, &ldquo;I think it would be pretty good.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4476540\/senior-iran-hezbollah-officials-civilians-killed-us-israel-strikes\/\">WHO HAS BEEN KILLED SO FAR DURING THE IRAN WAR?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, just hours after the fragile ceasefire began, Trump <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4520525\/how-iran-changed-from-start-of-war-until-ceasefire\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4520525\/how-iran-changed-from-start-of-war-until-ceasefire\/\">said<\/a> the United States could be involved in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-defends-treasury-department-lifting-sanctions-on-iranian-oil\/\" title=\"... defends Treasury Department lifting sanctions on ...ian oil\">retrieving enriched uranium<\/a>. The Iranian Supreme National Security Council, however, claimed the U.S. &ldquo;accepted enrichment&rdquo; as a part of the ceasefire deal.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There will be no enrichment of Uranium, and the United States will, working with Iran, dig up and remove all of the deeply buried (B-2 Bombers) Nuclear &lsquo;Dust,&rsquo;&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4520525\/how-iran-changed-from-start-of-war-until-ceasefire\/\">Trump said.<\/a> &ldquo;It is now, and has been, under very exacting Satellite Surveillance (Space Force!). Nothing has been touched from the date of attack.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>McCarthy: Trump has usurped Congress&#8217;s power<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4195,"featured_media":2588852,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/McCarthys-2026-elections.webp?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[4402,3663,5084,3634,56599],"class_list":["post-2588851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-congress","tag-mccarthy","tag-power","tag-trump","tag-usurpation-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/McCarthys-2026-elections.webp?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2588851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2588851"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2588851\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2588855,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2588851\/revisions\/2588855"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2588852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2588851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2588851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2588851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}