Tucker Carlson, Matt Gaetz slam Kevin McCarthy as 'MSNBC contributor,' 'weak' over leaked Jan. 6 comments

On the same Jan. 10, 2021, conference call where House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) privately told colleagues he would urge former President Donald Trump to resign for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, McCarthy identified several far-right members of his caucus as security risks, The New York Times reported Tuesday evening, with audio of the conversation.
McCarthy specifically warned about Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.). Gaetz is "putting people in jeopardy," he said. "And he doesn't need to be doing this. We saw what people would do in the Capitol, you know, and these people came prepared with rope, with everything else." House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) suggested "it's potentially illegal what he's doing."
But "McCarthy did not follow through on the sterner steps that some Republicans encouraged him to take, opting instead to seek a political accommodation with the most extreme members of the GOP in the interests of advancing his own career," the Times reports.
Subscribe to 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 did not answer questions about the leaked audio Tuesday night, but when reporters asked if he thought the comments would imperil his bid to be House speaker, he said, "Nope." Some House Republicans said they still support McCarthy and several told ABC News they expect him to address his comments at a House GOP meeting Wednesday morning. But Gaetz slammed McCarthy and Scalise for "sniveling" about him and Trump in private, adding, "This is the behavior of weak men, not leaders."
Influential Fox News host Tucker Carlson was particularly incensed by McCarthy's question about certain House Republicans: "Can't they take their Twitter accounts away, too?" He called McCarthy "a puppet of the Democratic Party" and "a man who in private. turns out, sounds like an MSNBC contributor."
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), an alleged planner of a Jan. 6 pre-riot rally, agreed that McCarthy's "most serious" infraction was suggesting Twitter suspend GOP lawmakers, but he told One American News "we don't want it to be a distraction" before the midterms.
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.
-
Colleges are canceling affinity graduations amid DEI attacks but students are pressing on
In the Spotlight The commencement at Harvard University was in the news, but other colleges are also taking action
-
When did computer passwords become a thing?
The Explainer People have been racking their brains for good codes for longer than you might think
-
What to know before 'buying the dip'
the explainer Purchasing a stock once it has fallen in value can pay off — or cost you big
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media
-
Trump pardons Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery
speed read Former sheriff Scott Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison on federal bribery and fraud charges