Representative Adam Kinzinger (R., Il.) said Monday that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) dismissed his warning of potential violence at the Capitol during the certification of the Electoral College results.
“A few days before [January] 6, our GOP members had a conference call. I told Kevin that his words and our party’s actions would lead to violence on January 6th,” Kinzinger wrote on Twitter. “Kevin dismissively responded with ‘ok Adam, operator next question.’ And we got violence.”
A few days before Jan 6, our GOP members had a conference call. I told Kevin that his words and our party’s actions would lead to violence on January 6th. Kevin dismissively responded with “ok Adam, operator next question.” And we got violence.
— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) May 10, 2021
The remarks on McCarthy come months after Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler (R., Wash.) confirmed that McCarthy had called Trump to try and convince him to call off the riot. McCarthy emphasized that Trump’s own supporters were rioting.
Herrera Beutler says that McCarthy relayed Trump’s response during the conversation.
“Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,” Trump allegedly said.
Kinzinger, a former Air Force pilot, was one of ten House Republicans to vote to impeach Trump following the Capitol riot. Kinzinger launched a PAC in February aimed at loosening Trump’s influence on the GOP.
“Right now, it’s basically the Titanic. We’re like, you know, in the middle of this slow sink,” Kinzinger said of the Republican Party on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday. “We have a band playing on the deck telling everybody it’s fine. And meanwhile, as I’ve said, you know, Donald Trump’s running around trying to find women’s clothing and get on the first lifeboat.”
Kinzinger’s comments on McCarthy on Monday come amid an effort to oust Representative Liz Cheney (R., Wyo.) as GOP Conference Chair, over her continued criticism of President Trump’s conduct during the Capitol riot and allegations that Democrats “stole” the election. McCarthy publicly backed Representative Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) for the position.