Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said he “couldn’t live with” himself if he saved his speakership by striking a deal with the Democrats.

Speaking with the Power Play podcast from Politico, McCarthy gave his thoughts on his fall from the speakership and the current state of it. In one of several subtle swipes at Johnson, McCarthy dismissed suggestions that he could have struck a similar deal as the current speaker to save his speakership as unconscionable.

“Well, you asked me earlier, should I’ve done a deal. I couldn’t live with myself if I did a deal with the Democrats,” he said. “I’m speaker, I’m the Republican leader. I’m not going to hold a seat based on, I had 96% of the Republicans’ support, I think that has the right to be the leader of it.”

He defended his fatal move of pushing bipartisan spending legislation with the Democrats as different than a deal.

McCarthy made another swipe at Johnson later in the interview, saying nothing has gotten done under his speakership, though without mentioning him.

“I think the experience of removing the speaker has not been positive for anybody. I mean, what legislation has passed since that originated in the House? Nothing,” he said. “And so I think it’s a lesson learned in the process of not doing it again. Unfortunately, I’m the person they had to learn the lesson.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Elsewhere in the interview, McCarthy took another swipe at his rival Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who led the effort to unseat him, suggesting that he may go to jail soon.

An effort by Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) to vacate the speakership was defeated by a bipartisan majority on Wednesday, securing Johnson’s position.