Kevin McCarthy's Jan. 6 disappearing act during riot questioned by conservative

In a column for the Bulwark, conservative pundit Amanda Carpenter noted that, in a key clip shown by the January 6 House committee on Thursday night, Republican Party leaders huddled together during a phone call and made plans to get back to work as the Capitol was cleared.

As the former advisor to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) pointed out, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was nowhere to be seen.

That led her to ask, "Where was Kevin?" before adding, "He’s not telling."

According to the commentator, the fact that the GOP leader of the House was missing in action from his fellow Republican leaders should raise more questions about his Jan. 6 activities than his on-again, off-again relationship with Donald Trump.

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Writing, "Thousands of witnesses have voluntarily complied with the committee’s requests for testimony." Carpenter noted that McCarthy has balked before she added, "It is well known that McCarthy had direct conversations with Trump while the attack was underway and that the GOP leader asked for Trump’s help in protecting the Capitol—help that Trump did not deliver."

"McCarthy’s support for Trump wavered briefly in the waning days of Trump’s presidency—McCarthy told his fellow Republican leaders that 'I’ve had it with this guy' and said he would call on Trump to resign and, on January 13, McCarthy said, in a speech opposing impeachment, that Trump 'bears responsibility' for the insurrection," she wrote. "And in the months that followed, McCarthy led the GOP caucus in opposing the Jan. 6th Committee and relished attacking the two Republicans who serve on it, calling Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger “Pelosi Republicans.” McCarthy greenlit Cheney’s removal from the House GOP leadership, then endorsed her primary opponent."

"Was it possible McCarthy agreed with the [former White House chief of staff Mark] Meadows point of view—that it would reflect poorly on Trump if other Republicans took decisive action to put down the riot? What did Trump tell McCarthy? And why won’t McCarthy tell the committee directly?" she asked. "And what about Pence? How could the former vice president also stay silent about what he witnessed, given that his own security detail thought they might perish that day?"

"Both men know a lot about these events they have refused to share. The American people deserve to hear them testify," she concluded.