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Donald Trump criticized Kevin McCarthy’s decision to boycott the Jan 6 committee.
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He complained that his side has no voice as the hearings turn up new, damaging evidence.
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While GOP leadership refused to participate, two anti-Trump Republicans did join.
Former President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for boycotting the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot.
Trump, in an interview with the influential Punchbowl newsletter, complained that the Republican case was not being heard in the committee’s public hearings.
In the hearings the committee has presented evidence of a multi-pronged campaign by Trump and his allies to overturn his 2020 defeat, culminating in the Capitol attack.
“Well, I think in retrospect, I think it would have been very smart to put [Republicans on the committee] and again, I wasn’t involved in it from a standpoint so I never looked at it too closely. But I think it would have been good if we had representation,” Trump told the outlet.
“I think in retrospect [McCarthy should’ve put Republicans on] to just have a voice. The Republicans don’t have a voice. They don’t even have anything to say.”
McCarthy decided to boycott the committee after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stopped him putting Rep. Jim Jordan and Rep. Jim Banks on the panel.
Both are ardent Trump allies, and had voted against certifying the results of the 2020 election, part of Trump’s ploy to overturn the result on the basis of false claims of electoral fraud.
Although GOP leadership did not participate in populating the committee, Trump is wrong to say it contains no Republicans.
Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger have been prominent members, but both comes from the anti-Trump wing of the party.
Trump said: “I think it would’ve been far better to have Republicans [on the panel]. [Jim Banks and Jim Jordan] were great. They were great and would’ve been great to have them. But when Pelosi wrongfully didn’t allow them, we should’ve picked other people. We have a lot of good people in the Republican Party.”
It’s not the first time Trump has expressed displeasure at McCarthy’s decision. He made the same criticism in recent remarks to a conservative radio host, and CNN reported via unnamed sources that Trump was complaining about the situation to his allies.
McCarthy’s relationship with Trump has hit the rocks in recent weeks.
Leaked tapes showed McCarthy criticizing Trump in the wake of the riot and calling for an investigation. That stance starkly contradicts his later shows of loyalty and objections to the House committee investigation.
Trump has so far not endorsed McCarthy in his bid to become House speaker if Republicans win back control of the chamber in November’s election.
Read the original article on Business Insider
