Leaked audio: Kevin McCarthy says Trump accepted 'some responsibility' for Jan. 6

Yet another piece of leaked audio of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has emerged.
CNN on Friday aired audio in which McCarthy can be heard telling Republican lawmakers in January of 2021 that former President Donald Trump told him he bears some responsibility for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The audio was obtained by New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns for their book This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden and the Battle for America's Future.
"I asked [Trump] personally today, does he hold responsibility for what happened?" McCarthy said. "Does he feel bad about what happened? And he told me he does have some responsibility for what happened."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

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 also told members that Trump "bears responsibility for his words and actions" and must acknowledge this. That same month, McCarthy publicly said Trump "bears responsibility" for the riot, though he still argued against impeaching him.
A previous piece of leaked audio on Thursday night revealed McCarthy told House GOP colleagues he planned to urge Trump to resign, despite a spokesperson for McCarthy previously claiming this was never said. According to The Washington Post, McCarthy and Trump spoke over the phone Thursday night, and the former president was "not upset" about the leaked remarks.
When asked at a news conference earlier this year whether he told Republicans that Trump agreed he bears responsibility for Jan. 6, McCarthy said, "I'm not sure what call you're talking about."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
Courts deal setbacks to Trump’s Chicago operations
Speed Read President Donald Trump cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois
-
‘The illusion of wealth can encourage people to take on more debt’
instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rules
Speed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
-
Supreme Court points to gutting Voting Rights Act
speed read States would no longer be required to consider race when drawing congressional maps
-
Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
-
Are inflatable costumes and naked bike rides helping or hurting ICE protests?
Talking Points Trump administration efforts to portray Portland and Chicago as dystopian war zones have been met with dancing frogs, bare butts and a growing movement to mock MAGA doomsaying