A hot mic picked up Republican Texas Rep. Michael McCaul telling his colleague, Republican California Rep. Darrell Issa, to “go fuck yourself” Tuesday during a meeting of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
McCaul, the committee chair, made the comment when Issa overshot his allotted time questioning former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, who oversaw the Biden administration’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021. The Texas lawmaker later apologized for the remark, while Issa joked about it on Twitter.
“And the Marines—” Issa said during the hearing.
“The Gentleman’s time is expired,” McCaul interrupted.
“—concur with the Army in this case?” Issa continued.
“The Gentleman’s time is expired,” McCaul reiterated. “Ms. Miller-Meeks is recognized.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize,” Issa replied. “Thank you.”
McCaul continued, saying something unintelligible about “keeping a five-minute” before Issa began to speak again.
“I thought I was done! I thought it was the closing act, Chairman,” Issa exclaimed.
“Eh, go fuck yourself,” McCaul said before Republican Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks began speaking.
Representative Mike McCaul just told Darrell Issa to go fuck himself in the middle of a hearing.
McCaul sold up to $500K of Nvidia stock in November.
I’d be on a short temper too.
— Quiver Quantitative (@QuiverQuant) March 19, 2024
McCaul later apologized for the remark in a statement, saying the outburst was “uncharacteristic” of him.
“It was a long day, and I lost my temper,” the congressman said. “That is uncharacteristic of me and I apologize to Mr. Issa, who I consider a friend.”
Issa, for his part, cracked a joke on Twitter: “I’ve been called worse … and by people I don’t like!”
Hey @RepMcCaul — I’ve been called worse … and by people I don’t like!
— Rep. Darrell Issa (@repdarrellissa) March 19, 2024
Milley retired as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Sept. 2023 after serving four years as the top military adviser to the president and the secretary of defense. He and retired Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie testified Tuesday about the suicide bombing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport’s Abbey Gate that killed 13 American service members during President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. (RELATED: Dem Rep Running Against Cruz Has Broken Pledge To Voters Every Year Since Taking Office)
Gold Star father Steve Nikoui, whose son was killed in the Abbey Gate attack, was arrested and charged with disrupting Biden’s State of The Union address after he stood up and yelled at the president earlier this month.