Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy described his sometimes rocky relationship with former President Donald Trump in an interview Friday, likening their dynamic to a marriage.

McCarthy left Congress last month following his historic ouster from the speakership after just nine months on the job. Also last month, he endorsed Trump, who had been reportedly agitated by McCarthy’s hesitance to do so. The California Republican’s seal of approval led to a fresh wave of Trump endorsements from prominent Capitol Hill lawmakers.

Questioned on his unique relationship with the former president, McCarthy asked the Financial Times interviewer, “Have you ever fought [with your husband]?”

“Have you ever expressed your opinion? Because you love this person, would you express it stronger than you would express [it] to somebody you met on the street?” he asked her.

The personal comparison has to do with McCarthy’s apparently unrestricted willingness to be candid with Trump. “I will say things to [Trump] that I think other people won’t,” he claimed.

“Now, will it make him mad? Yeah. But will he respect me more? I believe so,” the former speaker continued.

McCarthy said that each relationship has certain dynamics, periods of “ebbs and flows.” According to him, closer relationships come with stronger emotions. For example, he said, “I couldn’t have a relationship with President Trump where we smiled at each other every day.”

McCarthy said he’s had “tough conversations” with the former president and is able to do so “only because our bond is strong.”

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He seemed to follow his guidance during a Fox News town hall Wednesday. After receiving criticism for his talk of retribution and revenge on the 2024 campaign trail, Trump said, “I’m not going to have time for retribution.”

Last month, McCarthy warned Trump’s presidential campaign couldn’t be about revenge. “He needs to stop that,” he said of Trump’s discussion of retribution. “He needs to stop that.”