Trump denies taking responsibility for Jan. 6 riots
New audio clips reveal Kevin McCarthy stating that Donald Trump confessed he did have some responsibility for the events of the capitol attack.
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Former President Trump and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (wikimedia commons)
According to new audio clips revealed by The New York Times House Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy, Donald Trump may have accepted some responsibility for the January 6 attacks.
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An earlier report had detailed that McCarthy and Mitch McConnell had privately expressed anger at the former President and believed him to be responsible for the events.
McCarthy can be heard addressing a question from Wyoming representative Liz Cheney, who was in a leadership capacity at the time, in one published recording from a 10 January 2021 call with House GOP leaders. Cheney asked McCarthy if he thought Trump would resign if Congress introduced a 25th amendment resolution declaring Trump unable to take office.
During an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Donald Trump stated that he was not pleased to learn of McCarthy's comments in the call and that the Republican never advised him to step down.
According to Trump, "He made a call. I heard the call. I didn't like the call," adding that “But almost immediately as you know because he came here and we took a picture right there—you know, the support was very strong."
Trump called the support after the criticism, "a big compliment, frankly."
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McCarthy can be heard discussing a conversation with Trump on 11 January in which he questioned the former president whether he felt he was responsible for the assault in a second clip.
The Republican leader states that he has been "very clear" to the President, adding that "he told me he does have some responsibility for what happened and he needs to acknowledge that."
More confusing, is the fact that before the New York Post revealed the clips, McCarthy denied the report saying it was "totally false and wrong."
He accused corporate media of "doing everything it can to further the liberal agenda."
The report comes from an upcoming book, "This will not pass: Trump, Biden and the Battle for America's Future", and details comments made by several Republicans after the insurrection.
