On MSNBC Tuesday, former D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who was severely injured in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, shredded House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) — and accused him of putting aside his morals in the quest for power.
In the initial aftermath of the attack, McCarthy condemned Trump's role in inciting it and even privately demanded he resign from office. However, he quickly went back to defending the former president, and sitting idly by as House Republicans like Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) characterize the people who invaded the Capitol with weapons, beat police officers, and threatened lawmakers as "tourists."
All of this is simply for the sake of trying to maintain his position at the top of the GOP, said Fanone.
"When you hear the things that Kevin McCarthy said privately — and I know you met with him privately and I know you write about that, and some of the tapes came out with the publication of your book — when you hear him able to acknowledge the reality that you lived and we saw with our own eyes privately, what do you make of what he's done publicly, which is to elevate the insurrectionists, to kowtow to Marjorie Taylor Greene, to do nothing to Mr. Clyde and others who are whitewashing it to this day?" asked anchor Nicolle Wallace.
Watch: Michael Fanone rips Republican Kari Lake in profanity-laced rant on live TV
"I think Kevin McCarthy only cares about Kevin McCarthy and his own political future, and he sees the best vehicle for his success as being the Republican Party and its success," said Fanone. "And so he will do anything and everything to ensure that the Republican Party gains power and so he can eventually hold the gavel and be the speaker."
This also comes soon after the violent attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband in their San Francisco home. McCarthy condemned the attack, saying "Violence should not go. You watch what happened to Steve Scalise and others. This has got to stop." However, many other Republican officials are openly mocking Pelosi over the incident, with little indication of any pushback from McCarthy or House leadership.
Watch below:
Michael Fanone says Kevin McCarthy will do anything for powerwww.youtube.com
