Kevin McCarthy

For years now, through controversy after controversy, House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY has bent over backward to stay in former President DONALD TRUMP's ...

And I can’t think of a Democrat running nationally that’s running on anything functionally different in that regard.’ Fetterman, 52, added plainly: ‘If a moderate Democrat is somebody that would break with the rest of the caucus and screw up Build Back Better or the Democratic agenda, then I’m not a moderate.’” The [CDC] made a determination that there wasn’t and that we’re OK to move forward with lifting it on May 23.” TINA FLOURNOY is stepping down as chief of staff, and will be replaced by LORRAINE VOLES. ( WaPo’s Tyler Pager was first to report the news.) Eugene has the deets on the new face in the role: “Voles, who also worked on the transition, was brought in to focus on strategic communication, restructuring [KAMALA] HARRIS’ office during growing scrutiny of the vice president last summer. — On the impromptu combat training he gave fellow members on Jan. 6: “I was teaching [my colleagues] how to stab [the rioters] in the neck and stab them in the eye. “‘They wanted every record relating to Hunter Biden we had,’ CLINT LANCASTER told CBS News. Lancaster represented LUNDEN ROBERTS, a woman who filed suit against Hunter Biden in 2019 alleging he was the father of her child. “They’re expecting to lose a lawsuit that’s going to force them to keep it in place.” — On his mindset as the Capitol was being overrun on Jan. 6: “I’ll be honest … I was going to kill somebody that day. This ally argued that McCarthy should be just fine, called the audio a “nothingburger” and predicted that Trump will move on. You can listen to the show here — and trust us: you’re not going to want to miss this one. Among Democrats, one major concern is that Republicans have thus far been able to define the debate on immigration. And if so, does he withhold his support for “My Kevin,” as he once called him, in his bid for speaker? What happens on the tape: McCarthy essentially conspires with Rep. LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.) about how to get Trump to step down as president after the Jan. 6 insurrection.

If Trump turned on him, McCarthy's path to the Speaker's office could be imperiled by Trump loyalists in the GOP caucus.

But what I think I'm going to do is, I'm going to call him." - At 11:32 a.m., McCarthy himselftweeteda statement saying: "The New York Times' reporting on me is totally false and wrong. Listen to the 90-sec. But I don't know." But if Trump turned on him, the Californian's path could be imperiled by the former president's loyalists in the GOP caucus. But I don't think he would take it. From what I know of him — I mean, you guys all know him, too. Driving the news: Recipients of the award are being honored "for their courage to protect and defend democracy in the United States and abroad," the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation said in a statement Thursday. I haven't talked to him in a couple days. Thanks, Kevin. ... Are you hearing that he might resign? - McCarthy: "Liz, you on the phone?" Why it matters: With the House GOP expected to win the majority in November's midterms, McCarthy — one of Trump's most unabashed allies — is on the doorstep of the Speaker's office.

McCarthy said during a call on January 10, 2021 that he didn't want to get into a conversation about Pence pardoning Trump.

In that clip, McCarthy also appears to dismiss the idea of then Vice President Mike Pence pardoning Trump if he became president due to Trump's resignation. "It comes as no surprise that the corporate media is obsessed with doing everything it can to further a liberal agenda," McCarthy's statement said. We know it'll pass the House. I think there's a chance it'll pass the Senate, even when he's gone. I haven't talked to him in a couple of days. Um, from what I know of him, I mean you guys all know him too, do you think he'd ever back away? At that time, Democrats were pushing hard to impeach Trump and McCarthy addressed the matter in his comments.

"It would be my recommendation he should resign,” McCarthy told fellow GOP lawmakers after Jan. 6.

The select committee, which Cheney vice-chairs, requested an interview with McCarthy in mid-January, hoping to learn more about his conversations with Trump “before, during and after” the riot. McCarthy has recruited the class of newcomers bolstering GOP ranks and raised millions to bolster Republican campaigns. They had also sought information about McCarthy’s communications with former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in the days before the attack. “I think it will pass and it would be my recommendation he should resign,” he later adds. Since then, the California Republican has distanced himself from any criticism of Trump and has avoided directly linking him to what happened. And it could threaten McCarthy’s standing with House Republicans aligned with Trump, whose support he will need for votes to become House speaker next year. “What I think I’m gonna do is I’m gonna call him.” “That would be my recommendation,” McCarthy is heard saying in response to question from Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who would emerge as a staunch Trump critic. Bednar did not immediately respond to questions late Thursday night after the audio’s release. Hours after the request was made, McCarthy issued a statement saying he would refuse to cooperate because he saw the investigation as not legitimate and accused the panel of “abuse of power.” I’m seriously thinking of having that conversation with him tonight,” McCarthy is heard saying. The audio depicts a very different McCarthy than the one who has been leading House Republicans over the last year and a half and who has remained allied with Trump even after delivering a speech on the House floor shortly after Jan. 6, during which he called the attack on the Capitol “un-American.” At the time, McCarthy called the assault among the saddest days of his career and told his fellow Republicans that Trump “bears responsibility” for the violence.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said four days after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol that he'd urge then-President Donald Trump to resign, ...

Audio surfaced Thursday night in which House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy discusses pushing President Donald Trump to resign following the pro-Trump ...

Since the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, questions have been raised about whether certain Republicans — originally Donald Trump, then some members of Congress — might be disqualified from serving in office for various actions tied to the attempt to overturn the 2020 election.It still seems quite unlikely. Neither McCarthy’s nor Cheney’s offices immediately responded to a request for comment. Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) wanted to talk about infrastructure. McCarthy said he did not think his effort would persuade Trump.The Times reported that the call lasted over an hour. Congressional Democrats have struggled to pick a midterm message but recently they’ve leaned heavily into running on infrastructure. In a curtain raiser, The Post’s Matthew Brown writes that the case against Greene was brought by Free Speech for People, a campaign-finance reform organization, on behalf of a group of voters from Greene’s district. Republicans argue that if voter-registration records are not regularly purged and updated, election fraud can take place. When do you expect to make a decision about that? Gallego is chairman of BOLD PAC, the campaign arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Sinema has drawn the ire of some in her party for helping block portions of its agenda. She has made clear she’s not happy about having to do this Each weekday, we’ll guide you through the news with assists from some of the best political reporters in the business providing insights and analysis.

New audio of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy released on Thursday night reveals he did consider asking then-President Donald Trump to resign in the ...

The reporting is part of Alex Burns and Jonathan Martin's forthcoming book, "This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden and the Battle for America's Future." But I don't know." I am seriously thinking about having that conversation with him tonight."

House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy told a fellow Republican after Jan. 6 that he would recommend to then-President Trump that he resign, according to new ...

Cheney's spokesman said in a statement that the Jan. 6 committee "has asked Kevin McCarthy to speak with us about these events but he has so far declined. Days later, McCarthy met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, seeking to repair their relationship. He will likely need Trump's support to secure the speaker's gavel if there's a GOP majority. Is there any reason to think that might happen?" "Are you hearing that he might resign? “The only discussion I would have with him is that I think this will pass, and it would be my recommendation you should resign,” McCarthy said in audio that aired on " The Rachel Maddow Show."

McCarthy told Liz Cheney he was 'seriously thinking about having that conversation' with then president following Capitol attack.

McCarthy, for his part, did a more complete about-face: he has claimed that Trump was unaware of the attack until McCarthy broke the news to him that it was happening. Although McConnell criticized Trump publicly for his role in the attack, he voted to acquit the former president in his impeachment trial. McCarthy has not responded to the release of the audio clip.

In the recorded conversation, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he didn't believe Donald Trump would voluntarily step down.

The recording puts McCarthy in a tough position with his party. The rift appeared it would stay — until McCarthy flew to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida within weeks of the attack and appeared in a photo with Trump, seemingly mending this feud between them. It was the second time Trump was acquitted in an impeachment trial. A Cheney spokesman said Friday morning that the House select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol attack "has asked Kevin McCarthy to speak with us about these events but he has so far declined. McCarthy had previously denied having the conversation, saying that an earlier New York Times report was "totally false and wrong." "I think this will pass, and that would be my recommendation you should resign," McCarthy said.

Congressman Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, came under fire from some of his fellow party members, after an audio ...

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Yes, other people lie too, but you have claimed to fight for a higher purpose," Kinzinger asked. "Honestly Kevin, is it worth it?" Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Though he lost to President Joe Biden, Trump remains the most popular figure in the Republican Party and has hinted he will run for president in 2024.

Republicans removed her from the post last year after she voted to impeach Trump and criticized him for his role in the Capitol attack. "The only discussion I would have with him is that I think this will pass, and it would be my recommendation you should resign," McCarthy said. He bears responsibilities for his words and actions, no ifs, ands or buts," McCarthy said in the Jan. 11, 2021, recording, which was also obtained by MSNBC. McCarthy said he doubted that Trump would agree to step aside. McCarthy on Thursday released a statement calling the Times' reporting on him "totally false and wrong." "There's a lot of different ramifications for that." I haven't talked to him in a couple days." The New York Times on Thursday reported that McCarthy and other GOP leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, initially vowed to kick Trump out of politics after the Jan. 6 riot. The spokesman also did not immediately explain the contradiction between McCarthy's recorded remarks and his prior statement, which denied that McCarthy said he would push Trump to resign. Is there any reason to think that might happen?" The vast majority of House Republicans — who would vote on whether to make McCarthy speaker — have stayed loyal to Trump. "What he did is unacceptable.

Certain recordings could complicate the California Republican's quest to become Speaker of the House, particularly if Trump comes out against him.

The call underscores the degree to which GOP leaders were preparing to abandon Trump in the aftermath of the attack — only for McCarthy to rapidly veer back into Trump’s fold. The tape underscores that there was still information McCarthy had that was not widely known. He warned tech companies of potential retaliation if they cooperated with House Jan. 6 investigators and he pulled the plug on the prospect of a 9/11-commission-style investigation of the attack, despite having deputized a Republican lawmaker who forged a bipartisan proposal. McCarthy at the time ripped the panel and said he had nothing new to add to what was already publicly known. They briefly discussed the prospect of Trump’s Cabinet invoking the 25th Amendment, which would allow Trump to be immediately removed from office, and McCarthy revealed he had spoken to Trump within the previous “couple days.” The person familiar with the matter said Trump “was not upset” at the initial New York Times story on the remarks but that they did not know how he would feel about the revelation of the audio tape that substantiated it. “Again, the only discussion I would have with him is that I think this will pass, and it would be my recommendation you should resign,” McCarthy said of the impeachment resolution. “Kevin McCarthy’s got a big problem,” Epshteyn said. Though most House Republicans remained silent Friday — and some indicated they believed the controversy would abate — several of Trump’s close allies said they believe McCarthy would need to spend months proving his pro-Trump bona fides. A spokesperson for Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), who heads House Republicans’ campaign arm, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But I don’t know.” The Washington Post first reported on the conversation between McCarthy and Trump.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was caught in a lie denying that he thought it was a good idea for Trump to resign as president after the Capitol ...

But now more than ever, McCarthy’s political future is in Trump’s hands: One word from the Boss and he can forget about becoming Speaker if (as expected) Republicans get control of the House by a narrow margin following the midterms. Again, the only discussion I would have with him is that I think this will pass and it would be my recommendation you should resign. Now, I haven’t had a discussion with the Dems that if he did resign, would that happen? But what I think I’m going to do is I’m going to call him. It’s not surprising, then, that according to a new report from the New York Times, both of the GOP’s minority leaders, Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell, reportedly told associates in the days following the siege that they believed Trump was responsible for what happened — and that they would end his political career because of it. McCarthy flatly denied the Times report, calling it “totally false and wrong” and the work of “corporate media” with a “liberal agenda.” Trouble is, the Times’ Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin have (and have now released) an audio recording of McCarthy’s comments.

New York Times obtains more audio involving House Republican leader in the aftermath of the Capitol attack – follow the latest.

Large chunks of the party said, or say in private, Trump is unfit and dangerous,” writes Benjy Sarlin of NBC on This isn’t the first revelation that Meadows is registered to vote in multiple states. She is then shown the oath on a screen and asked what the oath meant to her, in terms of “taking it freely without reservation”. Representative Jamie Raskin, a prominent Democrat on the committee, has been making the rounds hyping up the findings of the committee to the press. About 800 people have been charged with crimes committed in relation to the Capitol attack over the last year. When the People lose their right to vote and their freedom to choose their representatives, our country is lost. Only the People have the right to choose who they send to Congress.” If he puts out a statement complaining — he complains about McConnell all the time and hasn’t threatened his position in leadership,” said one Republican congressional aide who asked for anonymity to discuss private conversations. Yesterday the Times reported a call on 10 January, in which McCarthy said he thought Trump should resign over the January 6 Capitol riot. Yesterday the Times reported a call on 10 January, in which McCarthy said he thought Trump should resign over the January 6 Capitol riot. Trump has not yet commented on McCarthy’s taped comments in the 10 January call. Trump has not yet commented on McCarthy’s taped comments in the 10 January call.

“Republicans are not fit to govern and Republican majorities would mean little more than complete subservience to Donald Trump,” the organization said. Others ...

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In the days following the January 6 insurrection, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told Republican lawmakers on a private conference call that ...

McCarthy has said he has nothing relevant to offer the panel since he's already publicly revealed he had a phone call with Trump on January 6. "I say he has responsibility," McCarthy said on KERN, a local radio station in Bakersfield, California, on January 12 of last year. The source also defended McCarthy and told CNN that on the days after January 6, there had been a fog about what would happen next. A GOP member of leadership who called McCarthy this morning to discuss the audio file revealed by The New York Times on Thursday night said they didn't get the impression McCarthy is worried that the recorded comments or revelations could hurt his political future in a significant way. On a separate call the day before, McCarthy said, "I had it with this guy. "But let me be very clear to you and I have been very clear to the President. He bears responsibility for his words and actions.

The Republican leader has been caught in a huge, flaming lie—which may not actually matter in the post-truth world the GOP lives in.

As of early Friday afternoon, McCarthy had not released a follow-up statement in the wake of the recording being released, but we’re sure once he does it’ll be a truly master class in the type of lies and spinning that would keep anyone with a soul up at night. Which it wasn’t, and the reason we know that is because shortly after he denied the whole thing, we got to hear a recording of him saying the things the Times reported he said. If they did, McCarthy, for example, would not have been able to go from telling colleagues on January 10 he was finished with Trump and wanted him to resign to, within weeks, pledging his undying loyalty to the guy and making Liz Cheney a party pariah for trying to hold Trump responsible.

The top House Republican got caught in a lie that could threaten his career — but a little groveling before Trump can go a long way.

Like Trump, who has become his role model, McCarthy is like the child holding a piece of his mother’s priceless vase that he has just broken and who will say anything he needs to say to deflect blame and restore his innocence. As long as McCarthy executes a proper grovel to mollify Trump and keeps a brave face, the pain of getting found out will cause him no more permanent harm than a bad haircut. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding.” He also said Trump acknowledged “ some responsibility“ for the riot. It would be nice if getting caught lying dramatically on tape might disqualify a politician from public life, or if, as McCarthy has done, oscillating from supporting Trump to criticizing Trump to sucking up to him again would exile him from the corridors of power. “The Humiliation of Kevin McCarthy,” gloated the Bulwark’s Charlie Sykes. McCarthy got it in the neck from both members of the commentariat and from Capitol Hill legislators. “Totally false,” McCarthy immediately protested in a statement, and his office denied that he had said Trump should resign.

Almost all politicians lie, but only some are demonstrably liars. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is not only a demonstrable liar; he's also a sloppy ...

His rise in the House has been fueled by affability and ideological flexibility: He was a Bush Republican, and then he was a Tea Partier, and then he was a Trumpist. reports that McCarthy spoke with Trump last night, and that the former president was not angry. The next time Trump tries some egregious violation of the rule of law, McCarthy will know better than to acknowledge it, even in private. What Trump got from Vance in return is the same thing he will get from McCarthy, should he decide to excuse the insult: control. This is the tragedy of McCarthy’s flip-flop in January 2021. Deviating from the Trump line is politically hazardous for any Republican, and Trump was furious about McCarthy’s mild public criticism in January 2021. They didn’t always say so publicly, but they grasped that Trump had fomented an attack on the physical seat of American democracy and on the Constitution, and was trying to steal the election. When he and McCarthy shrug off those events now and say they’ll support Trump if he’s the GOP nominee in 2024, they are committing an act of moral and political cowardice. (He might also have been lying to Cheney on the call; maybe he had no intention of calling Trump to urge his resignation.) His lie showed no finesse, no fun, no lawyerly parsing, no plan whatsoever. The truly accomplished liars in American politics are (like Trump) working on a larger project of mass dissembling or (like Bill Clinton) enjoying the intellectual gymnastics required. “We are a thousand percent confident in our sourcing on that comment,” the reporter Alex Burns told CNN Thursday morning. Nobody can defend that and nobody should defend it,” the Californian told members of his leadership team, including Liz Cheney, days after the riot.

On Thursday morning, The New York Times reported that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy had told colleagues in the aftermath of the January 6 attack on ...

At root, politicians' success -- Trump excepted -- tends to be built on a notion among both their constituents and their colleagues that they can be trusted. And that McCarthy is a member of a party led by a man who said more than 30,000 false or misleading things McCarthy said the Times was wrong.

In the recorded conversation, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he didn't believe Donald Trump would voluntarily step down.

The rift appeared it would stay — until McCarthy flew to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida within weeks of the attack and appeared in a photo with Trump, seemingly mending this feud between them. The recording puts McCarthy in a tough position with his party. Q: "Did you tell House Republicans on their January 11 phone call that President Trump told you he agreed that he bore some responsibility for January 6th?" Mr. McCarthy said, according to the Times. "Does he feel bad about what happened? A Cheney spokesman said Friday morning that the House select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol attack "has asked Kevin McCarthy to speak with us about these events but he has so far declined. However, Trump responded, "Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are." It was the second time Trump was acquitted in an impeachment trial. McCarthy had previously denied having the conversation, saying that an earlier New York Times report was "totally false and wrong." Trump eventually faced an impeachment charge for inciting an insurrection a week after the riot. However, McCarthy swiftly rejected the idea of testifying. "I think this will pass, and that would be my recommendation you should resign," McCarthy said. "I'm seriously thinking of having that conversation with him tonight," McCarthy said.

House GOP minority leader Kevin McCarthy was recorded in January saying he'd advise then-President Trump to resign after Jan. 6. It raises questions about ...

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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has been maneuvering behind the scenes to contain the fallout over damning and contradictory conversations he had with ...

But many Republicans have come to McCarthy's defense in the wake of the audio. In fact, some argued it probably boosted McCarthy within the conference; one GOP aide said lying to The New York Times could be seen as a "badge of honor." McCarthy never ended up telling the then-President to step down, however, which is part of the reason Trump isn't holding a grudge over it, GOP sources told CNN. And Republicans are bracing for another potential shoe to drop. Kevin's leadership will be a big part of why that happens," said Rep. Kelly Armstrong, a North Dakota Republican. "It doesn't make any sense to throw the guy who has taken all the incoming for two years under the bus right when we get control of the wheel." Plus, McCarthy's initial criticism of Trump after January 6 was already widely known and shared by many others inside the GOP conference.

It follows the release of two private audio conversations involving House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, including a new tape in which he claims Trump ...

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Power is intoxicating, its pursuit revealing of character but sometimes debilitating; House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) ...

“President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office, as an ordinary citizen — unless the statute of limitations has run, still liable for everything he did while in office,” he said. “There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day,” he said on the Senate floor. McConnell is a lesser player in the drama that has unfolded over the past few days, having chosen silence over explanation or defense. But it’s possible the House Jan. 6 committee will make a referral to the Justice Department urging federal prosecutors to consider charging Trump with a crime. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who was then chair of the House Republican Conference and among those on the call when McCarthy said he planned to tell Trump he should resign, has maintained her will and backbone. McCarthy has since been craven in bowing to Trump’s wishes, fearing that crossing the former president could compromise both his party’s hopes of capturing the majority in November’s midterm elections and his own desire to lead a Republican-controlled House next year as speaker. That evening, a minute-and-a-half audio of McCarthy’s comments was played on MSNBC’s “Rachel Maddow Show,” leaving the GOP leader defenseless in trying to refute that he said what he could be heard saying. He also said the Senate trial was not the end of the story. McConnell has rarely disguised his loathing for the former president. After offering critical remarks about Trump on the House floor in the days after the Capitol attack, McCarthy lost his nerve. McCarthy told other House leaders on Jan. 10 that he intended to say to Trump the following: “I think this [impeachment] will pass, and it would be my recommendation you should resign.” After the Times’ story was published Thursday morning, McCarthy issued a statement denying the report.