New tapes released from two days after the Capitol insurrection show Kevin McCarthy wanting to put as much distance as possible between the GOP and Trump, and wanting to "move forward" with Pelosi and Biden.
May 4, 2022

Are Republicans going to blame THIS leak on Ketanji Brown Jackson, too?

Yeah, here are more tapes released from Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns from their book "This Will Not Pass," in which we hear House Minority Leader Kevin BootLicker McCarthy calling Donald Trump's actions "atrocious" and "wrong." He's discussing with other GOP leadership (it isn't clear from the tapes exactly who, but CNN reports an aide is on the call, too) how to reach out to president-elect Joe Biden, and he is rejecting the notion of using the 25th Amendment against Trump only because it takes too long.

MCCARTHY: Yeah, look, what the president did is atrocious and totally wrong. Understand that we're twelve days away, I mean at one point I think that Biden, if you have an impeachment and you're stuck sitting in the Senate, and he needs Cabinet members and you've got Secetary of Defense, you've got a lot of things, then you've got to have movement. And did he think from the perspective you put everything else right, this country is very, very divided. I mean, I've got people that never thought they'd be in this position, very sophisticated, they think this thing is going to be different. They're angry. They want to continue the fight. I mean I've never seen anything like this.

The best thing I think for everybody as Americans is focus on the future, not the past, try to bring us together and I do think the impeachment divides the nation further and continues the fight. That's why I want to reach out to Biden. I wanted the president to meet with Biden, but that's not going to happen. I want to see about us meeting with Biden, sitting down, make it a smooth transition, show that we continue to keep those statements going, so hopefully I may again talk to Pelosi. Hopefully he calls me today and see if we can start that process. I think that'd be beneficial to his presidency, too. I actually think he personally would be stronger, above it to actually say something to that extent. I want to move the country forward. Why have this -- if they have impeachment that means they call us back next week. Their members have it a little easier with proxy but that puts everybody else just -- continue -- at one point, everybody. And I'm just worried about --

(ANOTHER GOP MEMBER?): Kevin, do you think there's a chance of getting them not to move on impeachment?

MCCARTHY: I'm trying to do it not from the basis of a Republican, but basis of, hey, it's not healthy for the nation. You know, that's the conversation I want to have with Biden himself. I used to do that to Biden when he was VP, I was in the House then, I think he would get all that. I don't know what the staff think, but we'll see. And what were you hearing about the call? I had a couple on this call say I didn't get feedback yet.

AIDE: Yeah, just that they're discussing it. It seems like there's definitely anger on their side but also division or strategically on what to do, and I think the options that have been cited by the Democrats so far are this 25th Amendment, which is not exactly an elegant solution, here.

MCCARTHY: That takes too long too. It goes back to the House, right?

AIDE: Correct. If the president were to submit a letter overruling the cabinet and the vice president, it's two-thirds of the House and Senate to overrule the president. It's kind of inartful. Obviously impeachment has been discussed, and I think they want him to resign, which I don't see happening either. But members are talking about it -- we'll keep you posted on what we're hearing but certainly that it's possible there are votes in the House next week.

Note also that McCarthy is seriously talking about working with Biden and Pelosi on moving the country forward and away from the jackf*ckery that is the Gaetz/Taylor Greene/Gohmert wing of the party. He's sounding truly alarmed that "sophisticated" thinkers he's known for a long time want to continue this deranged fight to keep Trump in the White House, and McCarthy wants nothing to do with it.

And yet, not three weeks later, McCarthy is flying to Florida to kiss the ring of the insurrectionist-in-chief at Mar-a-Lago, not to mention keeping up the lie over a year later telling us he never considered asking Trump to resign.

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