Despite the political pundits hair on fire on McCarthy dissing Trump after the Jan. 6 protest ‘s?
Republicans seem to be doing what they always do and Democrats are unable to….
Rowing together no matter how much reality says they shouldn’t….
The backdrop: House Republicans met Wednesday, hours after the Times published audio of McCarthy voicing support for some members being kicked off Twitter. That followed an earlier tape of McCarthy indicating he would recommend former President Donald Trump resign following the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Here’s what happened during the meeting. And it’s good news for McCarthy’s standing in his party.
What he said: McCarthy came out swinging against the audio and warned it was a distraction, per people in the room. He claimed the recordings were selectively cut, urging his members to not let the tapes divide them.
Most Republicans appear to have his back. Here’s a sampling of what they’ve said:
- Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.): “He’s handling it. He’s hitting it straight on.”
- Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.): McCarthy “got a standing ovation. He will be speaker.”
And from the Department of Irony, the perspective of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) — who’s made a habit of criticizing some of her own colleagues:
Where it got heated: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who blasted out a scathing statement about the tapes Tuesday night, got fired up toward House Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.). The Louisiana Republican appeared in the latest Times audio suggesting that Gaetz’s harsh comments about Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) may have been “illegal.” The two went back and forth Wednesday morning behind closed doors.
But this in itself isn’t a sign of trouble for House GOP leaders; Gaetz is under DOJ scrutiny in a sex trafficking investigation and not quite a bellwether of conservative sentiment in the conference…..