News/Commentary

Former Capital police officer Michael Fanone claims ‘democracy’ not a priority for Kevin McCarthy

April 24, 2022 | | Print Article

Following the leak of a Jan. 10th conversation in which GOP House leader Kevin McCarthy, contrary to his previous claims, contemplated the idea of suggesting to then-President Donald Trump that he should resign, McCarthy has been under attack from all sides of the political spectrum, including, now, from former D.C. Metro Police officer turned CNN analyst, Michael Fanone.

Fanone joined CNN anchor Jim Acosta Saturday to discuss new court filings from the January 6 investigative committee and the state of D.C. leadership, specifically that of Kevin McCarthy.

“I believe that Donald Trump, his surrogates, incited violence that day, and that their words resulted in the insurrection at the Capitol as we all saw it,” Fanone stated.

 

Fanone called the actions of McCarthy and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) “embarrassing” in a time “where so many of us Americans, myself included, are inspired by the actions of President Zelenskyy.”

“I look at our politicians and our elected leaders, and I think to myself: What, this is the best we’ve got? This is it? You know, people like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kevin McCarthy. I mean, they just — it’s just unreal,” Fanone said.

“Yeah,” agreed Acosta. “And Michael, former President Trump is standing behind McCarthy, the House minority leader, despite this audio of McCarthy bashing Trump on this call with his other Republican colleagues in the days after the January sixth attack.”

As previously reported in American Wire News, McCarthy could be heard on the audio footage telling then-House Republican Conference chair Liz Cheney that he was “seriously thinking” of having a conversation with Trump about resigning.

“I haven’t talked to him in a couple of days,” McCarthy said. “From what I know of him, I mean, you guys all know him too, do you think he’d ever back away?”

“But what I think I’m going to do is I’m going to call him,” McCarthy continued. “This is what I think.”

In response to the audio clip, Fanone said, “I mean, unfortunately again, it’s not surprising. This is the caliber of politician that we have in this country today.”

“Kevin McCarthy, I — again, I don’t know what’s worse,” Fanone continued, “some of the fringe members of Congress that never accepted the reality of January 6, or someone like Kevin McCarthy, who is acutely aware of what happened that day, the violence that day, attributed blame to former President Trump, and then, you know, for political purposes, has now reversed course and decided that, you know, him being Speaker or potentially being Speaker is way more important than our democracy.”

Meanwhile, Trump appears to have forgiven McCarthy.

“He made a call. I heard the call. I didn’t like the call,” Trump told the Wall Street Journal. “But almost immediately as you know, because he came here and we took a picture right there — you know, the support was very strong.”

“I think it’s all a big compliment, frankly,” Trump said of those Republicans who criticized him yet continued to back him. “They realized they were wrong and supported me.”

Melissa Fine
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