Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy feared in the aftermath of the Capitol uprising that comments made by far-right members of Congress “put people in danger,” according to audio reports from the New York Times.
Driving the News: In a telephone conversation with Republican leaders on January 10, 2021, McCarthy explicitly named some members of his conference, including Florida spokesman Matt Goetz, for using dangerous rhetoric, according to records.
- “The tension is too high, the country is too crazy, I don’t want to look back and think we did something or missed something and someone got hurt,” McCarthy said.
- During the phone call, McCarthy called certain lawmakers, including Gaetz and Mo Brooks of Alabama, whom he considered a threat to the security of the Capitol complex and potentially other members of Congress.
- He also called on lawmakers who made comments he found offensive, including Lauren Boubert of Colorado.
- “Our members also need to start paying attention to what they say, and you can’t put up with that,” he said, adding swear words to the audio.
- The audio recordings were obtained from New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns, authors of the upcoming book This Will Not Pass.
Between the lines: McCarthy withdrew from his firm stance in the first days after the Capitol uprising and built close relations with far-right lawmakers in the coming months, according to the Times.
Catch up quickly: Audio recordings released last week by Times reporters also revealed that McCarthy said he planned to call on then-President Trump to resign over the January 6th uprising.
- McCarthy has since denied the bill, with a spokesman saying: “McCarthy never said he would call Trump to say he had to resign.
What they say: A staunch Trump loyalist, Gaetz made a statement in response to the audio message, calling McCarthy “weak.”
- A McCarthy spokesman did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment.
Go deeper … The tape shows that McCarthy said he would call on Trump to resign
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