House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was called out on social media for defending former President Donald Trump’s failure to rein in his supporters as they attacked the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection.
McCarthy initially said Trump “bears responsibility” for the riot and admitted the then-president was too slow to respond.
“He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding,” McCarthy said a week after the insurrection.
But on Sunday, he changed his tune completely, telling Fox News that Trump promised to help stop the violent attack on the Capitol carried out by his supporters.
“And that’s what he did,” McCarthy said. “He put a video out later.”
Trump waited hours to release the video, eventually telling the rioters “we love you” as he asked them to go home.
On Sunday, McCarthy wouldn’t answer a question about a report claiming his conversation with Trump during the riot didn’t go nearly as well as he indicated.
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) said McCarthy told her that when he asked Trump to stop the attack, the then-president replied: “Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.”
McCarthy’s flip-flop led to quite the reaction on Twitter: