House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Right, and Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, will hold a press conference at the Capitol Visitor Center after meeting with the House Republican Conference on Wednesday, September 23, 2020.
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
The leader of the Republican caucus in the House of Representatives told his colleagues on Monday that President Donald Trump bears some responsibility for Wednesday’s riot at the Capitol, two sources told NBC News.
California minority leader Kevin McCarthy also didn’t rule out backing a motion to condemn Trump for his actions, according to the report.
Before his conference call with House Republicans on Monday, McCarthy had not said Trump was in any way to blame for the riot, which killed five people, including a Capitol Police officer who was killed by the crowd of the president’s supporters.
His reported comments come because Democrats, who have a majority of the members of the House, have moved to impeach Trump for instigating the riot. Vice President Mike Pence has so far opposed an appeal to the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, removing Trump from office.
Democrats say Trump and several of his allies are responsible for the invasion, which came after he asked supporters at a rally outside the White House to “ fight ” with him to get Congressional confirmation of Joe Biden’s election as president. to block. .
McCarthy still opposes impeaching Trump, saying in a letter to GOP House colleagues Monday that it would “have the opposite effect of bringing our country together.”
But the letter, obtained by NBC News, lists four possible actions to address the riot, none of which cite Trump.
The four options described by McCarthy reportedly ensure that what happened “is rightly charged and prevented in the future.”
They include: “A Resolution of Censure under the Rules of the House,” “A Two-Party Commission to Investigate the Circumstances of the Attack,” “Reforming the Electoral Count Act of 1887,” and “Legislation to Improve Voter Confidence in Future Federal Elections. to increase. “
The latter item reflects the fact that many GOP voters, and members of the Republican House, believe Trump was cheated by widespread ballot fraud in an election victory.
However, no court has established such fraud, despite dozens of lawsuits filed by the Trump campaign and its surrogates since election day.
William Barr, before stepping down as U.S. Attorney General after the election, had said there was no evidence of the type of fraud alleged by Trump that would have invalidated Biden’s victory.