McCarthy defends leaked audio slamming Trump and calls on Republicans to unify

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday defended himself to fellow Republican lawmakers meeting for the first time after a New York Times report showed him criticizing then-President Donald Trump in the frenzied days after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

McCarthy, a California Republican, said his reported comments and the tapes backing them up lack context and are part of an attempt to assuage conservative hard-liners dissatisfied with his leadership.