McCarthy Faces Partisan Fallout Over Leaked Jan. 6 Remarks

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) faced renewed controversy on Wednesday after The New York Times (Lean Left bias) released new audio of his remarks following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. 

On April 21, the Times released an initial clip of McCarthy saying he would urge then-President Donald Trump to resign. McCarthy and his spokesman both denied the report before the audio’s release; McCarthy later said his denial was based on a misunderstanding but maintained that the report was false. On Tuesday, the Times released several additional audio clips in which McCarthy worried House Republicans’ rhetoric could lead to violence. 

McCarthy received criticism from Democrats and some Republicans over his recorded remarks and prior denial. Several Democratic politicians and left-rated media figures called him a “liar;” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) called him a “craven human being” with “no ethical compass.” On Tuesday, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) called McCarthy a “weak” man for discussing his rhetoric in “sniveling calls with Liz Cheney.” However, McCarthy received a standing ovation from House Republicans on Wednesday after a speech in which he said the audio recordings lacked context.

Coverage of McCarthy’s remarks was more common in left-rated outlets. Coverage from the left often framed McCarthy as having lied about his remarks. Some coverage from the right discussed speculation over whether the audio was leaked by a top Republican.