Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is standing by former President Trump regarding his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, stating that Trump had encouraged a peaceful protest on that day and did not warrant any criminal charges from the Justice Department (DOJ).
“I don’t see how he could be found criminally responsible,” McCarthy told reporters in the Capitol. “What criminal activity did he do? He told people to be peaceful.”
McCarthy’s remarks come after Trump revealed that he is a target of the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into the Capitol rampage, carried out by his supporters attempting to overturn his 2020 election defeat. A target letter is typically an indication that a formal indictment is imminent.
McCarthy’s defense of Trump is in contrast to his previous comments immediately after the Capitol attack, where he stated on the House floor that Trump “bears responsibility” for the actions of the rioters.
McCarthy confirmed that he spoke to Trump on Tuesday following the news of the target letter, noting that the conversation was no different from their previous interactions. He also suggested that Trump was frustrated with the arrival of the letter. “Wouldn’t you feel frustrated?” McCarthy said.
McCarthy disputed reports that the call was a “strategy session” to unite Republicans behind a response to potential indictments. Instead, he accused the Biden administration of conducting such sessions to target the president’s political adversaries. He stated, “I think the strategy sessions happen in the Democrats’ Department of Justice, where they go after anybody who’s running against the president. It seems as though, if you go up in the polls, you’re more likely to get indicted.”
Elise Stefanik, House GOP Conference Chair and a strong supporter of Trump, also spoke to the former president following the news of the target letter. She criticized the development as “yet another example of the illegal weaponization of the Department of Justice to go after Joe Biden’s top political opponent.”
House Republicans held a high-profile hearing on the same day with IRS whistleblowers who accused DOJ prosecutors of delaying an investigation into Hunter Biden. McCarthy and Stefanik both argued that the real criminal conspiracy lies there, not with anything Trump did regarding Jan. 6.
“I would move to an impeachment inquiry if I found that the attorney general has not only lied to the Congress and the Senate but to America,” McCarthy stated, referring to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
McCarthy’s full-throated defense stands in contrast to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who declined to comment on the Trump news during a press conference, citing the former president’s reelection campaign. McConnell previously criticized Trump for his role in provoking the events of Jan. 6.
Since then, McConnell has remained relatively silent on matters involving Trump, selectively choosing when to comment on politically charged issues related to the former president.