At fundraiser, McCarthy says it will 'be hard not to hit' Pelosi with gavel if he becomes speaker


During a fundraising event in Tennessee on Saturday night, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) made a crack about hitting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
Main Street Nashville reporter Vivian Jones tweeted audio of McCarthy's comment, and wrote that he made the remark after he was handed an oversized gavel. Referring to Republicans winning the 2022 midterms, McCarthy said, "I want you to watch Nancy Pelosi hand me that gavel. It will be hard not to hit her with it, but I will bang it down."
Drew Hammill, Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, condemned the remark, tweeting, "A threat of violence to someone who was a target of a #January6th assassination attempt from your fellow Trump supporters is irresponsible and disgusting." Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) called on McCarthy to resign, saying the United States "has suffered enough violence around politics," and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) demanded McCarthy apologize for the remark, tweeting that "violence against women is no laughing matter." A McCarthy spokesperson did not respond to CNN's request for comment.
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 and Pelosi have been at odds over the Jan. 6 select committee and the House mask mandate. Pelosi rejected two of the five House Republicans McCarthy wanted appointed to the panel, which resulted in him saying the other three couldn't participate. After McCarthy criticized the House mask mandate being reinstated, Pelosi told reporters, "He's such a moron."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Quiz of The Week: 12 – 19 July
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
Do we need more right-wing scientists?
Talking Point Academics have a 'responsibility' to demonstrate why research matters to people who are not politically left-leaning, says Wellcome boss
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A missile garden, a line of lava, and more
-
Fed chair Powell in Trump's firing line
Speed Read The president considers removing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell
-
Trump trashes supporters over Epstein files
speed read The president lashed out on social media following criticism of his administration's Jeffrey Epstein investigation
-
Judge nixes wiping medical debt from credit checks
Speed Read Medical debt can now be included in credit reports
-
Grijalva wins Democratic special primary for Arizona
Speed Read She will go up against Republican nominee Daniel Butierez to fill the US House seat her father held until his death earlier this year
-
US inflation jumps as Trump tariffs 'bite'
Speed Read Consumer prices are climbing and the inflation rate rose to its highest level in four months
-
'No one should be surprised by this cynical strategy'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
SCOTUS greenlights mass DOE firings
Speed Read The Supreme Court will allow the Trump administration to further shrink the Education Department
-
Cuomo announces third-party run for NYC mayor
Speed Read He will go up against progressive Democratic powerhouse Zohran Mamdani and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams