McCarthy Faces Partisan Fallout Over Leaked Jan. 6 Remarks
Summary from the AllSides News Team
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.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
McCarthy Feared G.O.P. Lawmakers Put ‘People in Jeopardy’ After Jan. 6Representative Kevin McCarthy, the House Republican leader, feared in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack that several far-right members of Congress would incite violence against other lawmakers, identifying several by name as security risks in private conversations with party leaders.
Mr. McCarthy talked to other congressional Republicans about wanting to rein in multiple hard-liners who were deeply involved in Donald J. Trump’s efforts to contest the 2020 election and undermine the peaceful transfer of power, according to an audio recording obtained by The New York Times.
But Mr. McCarthy...
From the Right
McCarthy defends leaked audio slamming Trump and calls on Republicans to unifyHouse 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.
From the Center
Tucker Carlson Calls Kevin McCarthy A 'Puppet Of The Democratic Party'Tucker Carlson has accused Kevin McCarthy of being a "puppet of the Democratic Party" after leaked audio revealed the House Minority Leader asked if social media companies could suspend the accounts of some GOP lawmakers in the wake of the Capitol attack.
The Fox News host made the remarks about the top Republican in the House of Representatives while talking about Elon Musk's $44 billion takeover of Twitter, and what that could mean for censorship on the platform.
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