McCarthy snapped at Trump when he refused to help during riot, report says: ‘Who the f*** do you think you’re talking to?’
House GOP leader and ex-president were embroiled in shouting match as riot raged
Kevin McCarthy snapped at Donald Trump when he refused to call off his rioting supporters and reportedly told the president: “Who the f*** do you think you’re talking to?”
The ex-president and the leader of the House Republicans became embroiled in a heated exchange as Mr McCarthy called and begged Mr Trump to intervene, according to CNN.
When Mr Trump told the lawmaker that he believed the rioters were antifa, Mr McCarthy bluntly told him that they were in fact a MAGA mob.
“Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,” replied Mr Trump, according to lawmakers briefed later by Mr McCarthy.
The California congressman told the president that rioters were trying to break into his office, and asked him, “Who the f*** do you think you’re talking to?”
Republican lawmakers briefed on the call told CNN that the fiery exchange showed that Mr Trump was not interested in calling off his supporters as they tried to overturn his election defeat to Joe Biden.
“He is not a blameless observer, he was rooting for them,” one Republican House member told CNN.
“On 13 January, Kevin McCarthy said on the floor of the House that the president bears responsibility and he does.”
Ohio Republican congressman Anthony Gonzalez was one of 10 GOP members who voted to impeach Mr Trump in the House last month.
“I think it speaks to the former president’s mindset,” said Mr Gonzalez.
“He was not sorry to see his unyieldingly loyal vice president or the Congress under attack by the mob he inspired.
“In fact, it seems he was happy about it or at the least enjoyed the scenes that were horrifying to most Americans across the country.”
Details of the call emerged moments after both sides in Mr Trump’s historic second impeachment trial completed their arguments and Senators finished questioning them.
Republican Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler also voted to impeach Mr Trump in January.
“You have to look at what he did during the insurrection to confirm where his mind was at,” Ms Herrera Beutler told the news network.
“That line right there demonstrates to me that either he didn’t care, which is impeachable, because you cannot allow an attack on your soil, or he wanted it to happen and was OK with it, which makes me so angry.
“We should never stand for that, for any reason, under any party flag. I’m trying really hard not to say the F-word.”
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