Will GOP leader Kevin McCarthy back Marjorie Taylor Greene's primary challenger, too? National Review asks
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) distanced himself Monday from the "unacceptable" participation of two GOP lawmakers, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Rep. Paul Gosar (Ariz.), in a white nationalist event in Florida on Friday. At one point during the America First Political Action Conference, organizer Nick Fuentes backed Russia's Ukraine invasion, saying "they're going on about Russia and Vladimir Putin is Hitler — and they say that's not a good thing." Right before Greene took the stage, Fuentes led a chant for Putin.
"There's no place in our party for any of this," McCarthy told reporters. "The party should not be associated, any time, any place, with somebody who is anti-Semitic" or leads chants for Putin. He said he will "have a discussion" with Greene and Gosar.
This is a slight deviation from "a game plan that McCarthy has repeatedly adopted over the past year with the more extreme elements present in the House GOP conference: engage controversial members privately but avoid alienating them with any public criticism," since he needs their support to become House speaker, The Hill reports. "While that strategy helps limit public GOP infighting in the moment, it also means that extremism routinely goes unchallenged by top party leaders."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
McCarthy has no such qualms about publicly censuring the two Republicans who sit on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. One of them, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), is retiring next year, but McCarthy is backing the primary challenger to Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.). So the conservative magazine National Review asked McCarthy's campaign if he also plans to back a primary challenger to Greene.
The National Republican Congressional Committee is still actively supporting the re-election campaigns of Greene and Gosar, journalist Judd Legum noted Monday.
"What I think we should do is kick them out of the party," Kingziner said Monday. "What do I think we're going to do? Nothing. Liz and I can get censured, they're going to get help up as the future leaders of the party."
Greene — who proposed forming an "Anglo-Saxon" America First Caucus with Gosar last year, before House GOP leaders stepped in — defended her participation in the conference from "the Pharisees in the Republican Party" and their criticism. "I won't cancel others in the conservative movement, even if I find some of their statements tasteless, misguided or even repulsive at times," she said.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
10 recent scientific breakthroughs
In Depth From cell reparation to monkey communication
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
TV to watch in September, from 'Agatha All Along' to 'The Penguin'
The Week Recommends A 'WandaVision' spinoff, a DC Comics villain's starring turn and a silly Netflix original
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Pope urges climate action, unity at Jakarta mosque
Speed Read The pope and the mosque's top cleric signed a joint declaration encouraging religious tolerance and climate change action
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
A brief history of third parties in the US
In Depth Though none of America's third parties have won a presidential election, they have nonetheless had a large impact on the country's politics
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Netanyahu makes controversial address
Speed Reads Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress denounced Gaza war protestors
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Menendez convicted of bribery, fraud, and extortion
Speed Read The New Jersey Democratic Senator was found guilty in a federal corruption trial
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Florida judge dismisses Trump documents case
Speed Read Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that special counsel Jack Smith was improperly appointed
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Hamas says military chief survived Israeli strike
Speed Read An Israeli bombing failed to hit its intended target, military commander Mohammed Deif, but killed at least 90 Palestinians
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
First Israeli report on Oct. 7 finds 'severe mistakes and errors' in IDF response
Speed Reads Israeli military admits failures in response to deadly Hamas attack that triggered Gaza war
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published