Kevin McCarthy said Matt Gaetz’ post-Capitol riot comments were ‘putting people in jeopardy’

• House GOP leadership was concerned about some hard-line Republicans following the Capitol riot.
• Rep. Kevin McCarthy called out Rep. Matt Gaetz by name, according to The New York Times.
• “He’s putting people in jeopardy,” McCarthy said of Gaetz, according to audio obtained by The Times.

In the immediate aftermath of the January 6 Capitol riot, House GOP leaders were imminently concerned that some hard-line Republicans were putting other lawmakers in danger by making offensive and incendiary comments, according to The New York Times.

In a January 10, 2021 phone call with other Republican leaders, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called out Rep. Matt Gaetz as a key culprit, according to The Times, lambasting the Florida lawmaker for his post-riot television appearances in which he attacked other Republicans who had condemned former President Donald Trump.

Among Gaetz’ targets was Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, a member of the leadership team who was already facing increased public attacks due to her criticism of Trump. 

“He’s putting people in jeopardy,” McCarthy said about Gaetz, according to audio of the phone call obtained by The Times. “And he doesn’t need to be doing this. We saw what people would do in the Capitol, you know, and these people came prepared with rope, with everything else.”

McCarthy said Gaetz’ personal attacks against his colleagues constituted “serious stuff…that has to stop.” The congressman said he planned to call Gaetz and have others contact him and tell him to “cut this out.” 

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise suggested Gaetz’ comments could also present a legal problem.

“It’s potentially illegal what he’s doing,” the Louisiana Republican said. 

McCarthy also asked his fellow Republican leaders to keep careful watch over Gaetz and other far-right members and to alert him if they witnessed any potentially harmful comments, the outlet reported.

—Acyn (@Acyn) April 26, 2022

 

The day after the phone call, during a meeting with all House Republicans, McCarthy asked members of his party not to “incite” and to “respect” each other, according to The Times.

It was not immediately clear if McCarthy ever followed through on his intent to call Gaetz and reprimand him.

Representatives for McCarthy and Gaetz did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment. 

In a statement to Insider, Scalise slammed ongoing media coverage of the conversation and said, “Republicans will continue to focus on the issues that are actually affecting the hardworking families that make America great.”

“While Americans are suffering under record-high inflation, record-high gas prices, a border crisis, and skyrocketing crime rates, it’s pathetic that this is what the liberal media chooses to cover,” Scalise said. “It’s obvious to everyone that Democrats and their mouthpieces in the liberal media continue to double down on their obsession with January 6th because they want to distract the public away from the absolutely dismal state of the country under total Democrat control.”

In a Twitter statement Tuesday evening, Gaetz addressed The Times’ reporting, saying McCarthy and Scalise were “weak men.” 

“While I was protecting President Trump from impeachment, they were protecting Liz Cheney from criticism,” he wrote. 

“On the bright side, you no longer have to be a lobbyist with a $5,000 check to know what McCarthy and Scalise really think,” Gaetz added. “You just have to listen to their own words as they disparage Trump and the Republicans in Congress who fight for him.” 

—Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) April 26, 2022

 

New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns obtained the bombshell recording while reporting for a forthcoming book, “This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden and the Battle for America’s Future.”

McCarthy came under fire last week for downplaying several comments he made during the January 10 phone call. Martin and Burns released portions of the audio recording after McCarthy lied about telling House GOP members that he planned to urge Trump to resign following the insurrection. 

Since The Times published the audio, McCarthy has continued to defend himself, saying he never actually told Trump to resign. Gaetz lambasted the Republican leader last week, saying McCarthy should have “trusted my instincts, not your own.” 

Additional Republican lawmakers named during the January 10 GOP leadership call include Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama, Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, The Times reported.