Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff expressed his “contempt” for Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on MSNBC’s Tuesday broadcast of “Morning Joe.”
Schiff was asked by host Joe Scarborough who else might be responsible for “provoking people to commit insurrection” at the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday, aside from President Donald Trump. (RELATED: ‘They’re Worshipping An Idol,’ Joe Scarborough Says Of ‘Too Many People Who Call Themselves Christians’ That Follow Trump)
“I think there is a lot of responsibility, Joe, as you point out, that goes beyond the president,” Schiff said. “That goes to people in the Congress that were propagating the big lie that he’s been trying to sell the country. I have nothing but contempt at this point for Kevin McCarthy who carried the president’s water throughout these four years.”
The Capitol was stormed by Trump supporters last week after the president called on them to demand Vice President Mike Pence and Congress overturn the Electoral College results. Some prominent Republican lawmakers had previously expressed their intention to object to the results being certified in a joint session of Congress, including over a dozen senators and around 100 House members.
Schiff said that McCarthy and Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s former Chief of Staff, were “claiming somehow that they’re newly discovering that Donald Trump is a different person than they thought” but that he is “exactly the same person we knew he was every day of his tenure.”
McCarthy has spoken with Trump since the riot and said Trump “accepts some responsibility” for the riot taking place. Mulvaney resigned from his position as the envoy to Northern Ireland one day after the riot.
“Kevin McCarthy is worried about keeping his job right now,” Schiff continued. “Kevin McCarthy is worried about money drying up right now. Otherwise, he would be out there pushing the Antifa law along with the president. So, there are a lot of people who have some serious soul searching to do, not that I expect that will happen.”
In his criticism, Schiff didn’t mention that McCarthy had called on protestors to remain peaceful or that he called the riot “unacceptable and un-American.” McCarthy also later called on the “mob responsible for this attack” to be held responsible for their actions.
Thank you to Capitol Police for protecting the People’s House.
Protesters have a Constitutionally-protected right to be heard, but I urge them to remain peaceful.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) January 6, 2021
What is unfolding is unacceptable and un-American. It has got to stop.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) January 6, 2021
The violent mob responsible for this attack on the U.S. Capitol deserves the full consequences of their actions under the law. https://t.co/D9dSsGcIeJ
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) January 7, 2021
“It’s hard to look at our colleagues the same way because Kevin McCarthy and 140 of his colleagues, after the failed insurrection, were right back on the floor pushing the same big lies,” Schiff finished by saying, referring to the number of House members who continued with their Electoral College objections, “and it’s just contemptible.”