Blame.
All right, in fairness, technically he’s never accused Trump of having “provoked” the attack at the rally on the morning of January 6. But he did say the following on the House floor eight days ago. Can you “bear responsibility” for an attack without having “provoked” it? I mean, I guess, but… JUST IN: House Minority Leader McCarthy on US house floor: „The president bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding.“ pic.twitter.com/6teKtSpci7 NBC News (@NBCNews) January 13, 2021 Today he said this. Feels like a climbdown, no?.@GOPLeader on if President Trump provoked the attack on the Capitol: „I don’t believe he provoked if you listen to what he said at the rally.“ pic.twitter.com/vtQ64UzyRq — CSPAN (@cspan) January 21, 2021 He’s walking a fine line, absolving Trump for everything that happened before the riot — not just the rally that day but months of “stop the steal” messaging — while indicting him for not moving quickly enough to head it off once it had begun. That’s a position destined to please no one. But maybe it’s the best McCarthy can do right now, having replaced Mike Pence as the Republican “pussy” whom Trump is most annoyed at. From three days ago: The president has continued to tell advisers and allies he really won the election, with less than 48 hours to go before he leaves office. On the current GOP rift, the president’s anger is with every Republican who voted for impeachment but singular for McCarthy, aides say. — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 18, 2021 McCarthy did NOT support impeachment, but that’s hasn’t mattered to the president, according to people who spoke with him. — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 18, 2021 He’s in a jam, not wanting to make an enduring enemy out of Trump after he spent so much time cultivating his friendship.
