House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) sparred with reporters on Thursday as he remains defiant in refusing to cooperate with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
When asked a question by CNN’s Manu Raju about previous statements saying he was “willing to testify” about Jan. 6, McCarthy interrupted, saying, “That’s not true. Ask your question. I’ll verify what’s true in there.”
Before calling on Raju, McCarthy jested about CNN’s falling ratings, jibing, “Yes, sir how is CNN doing? Are you guys okay? Good. All right.”
“So it seems you’re trying to hide something here,” Raju concluded in his question to McCarthy about his reversal on testifying.
“Great question,” McCarthy shot back. “I hope everything gets corrected at CNN. Work through all that with your employees.”
“After January 6th, you can state this, who was the first person to offer a bipartisan commission to look at that day? Was it me? I’ll help you. The answer is yes.”
“Nancy Pelosi waited four months,” McCarthy continued, raising his voice.
He then lit into Speaker Pelosi, accusing her of politicizing the process:
“And that time period, as we came here and discussed many times, you were here, you would ask me questions, my fear began to erode that she’d play politics with this. You watched it unfold and unfold. She would prepare who can have a subpoena power, who can
have the scope, continuing to fight it all along the way.”
McCarthy went on to claim that in Congress, “the only role we have is legislative,” and that he is shocked that Pelosi would “play such politics” with the investigation.
Another reporter pushed McCarthy on his access to former President Donald Trump that day and asked given his “unique window to the president,” why not publicly discuss what was said.
McCarthy responded:
“My conversation was very short. Advising the president of what was happening here. There is nothing that I can provide the January 6th committee for legislation of them moving forward. There is nothing in that realm. It is pure politics at what they are playing.”
McCarthy in defending himself and attacking Pelosi failed to mention that two Republicans did eventually join the bipartisan select committee, against his express wishes. He additionally appeared to forget that one of Congress’s key roles is to conduct oversight over the federal government – including its failings.
Watch above via CNN