Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) shouted out former NFL star and registered sex offender Lawrence Taylor after he made an appearance alongside Donald Trump on stage Saturday during the former president’s rally in New Jersey.
In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, McCarthy said Taylor’s appearance at the rally should worry Democrats heading into the November presidential election.
“It just shows last night with that crowd, you’ve got Lawrence Taylor, you have Democrats in that crowd, independents,” McCarthy said in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. “I would be very concerned if I was in the White House today.”
Taylor pled guilty to charges of sexual misconduct and patronizing a prostitute in 2011. The prostitute was 16 at the time, but Taylor claimed he believed she was 19. He was sentenced to six years of probation and ordered to register as a sex offender.
Taylor was arrested on felony charges in Florida in 2021 after failing to report an address change as required because of his status as a registered sex offender.
At Saturday’s rally, Taylor said he decided to leave the Democratic Party after meeting Trump.
“I just wanted to say, I grew up a Democrat. And I’ve always been a Democrat. Until I met this man right here,” Taylor said. “I tell you what, he won’t have to worry about nobody in my family ever voting for a Democrat again.”
