- McCarthy struggled to defend the RNC calling the Capitol siege "legitimate political discourse."
- Infighting over RNC censure resolution hurts GOP chances at retaking power this fall, McCarthy said.
- He wants instead to focus on hammering Biden on the economy.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Republican National Committee officials should have been clearer by what they meant when their censure resolution described the January 6 Capitol siege as "legitimate political discourse."
That language — partly used to justify the censure of Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger — has instead given more life to talks about GOP involvement in the deadly January 6 siege at a time McCarthy says he'd rather be bashing President Joe Biden on the economy.
That description of the violent attack on the Capitol by a mob of Donald Trump supporters has put Republicans on the defensive about how the RNC could describe the polarizing event as legitimate.
"I think had they explained out what they were talking to this wouldn't be controversial at all. Because they weren't referring to people who have broken into this building," McCarthy told reporters Wednesday at the US Capitol.
It's a change from what he said a day earlier, defending the wording of the RNC's censure resolution against Cheney of Wyoming and Kinzinger of Illinois who both serve on the January 6 select committee that's investigating the Capitol siege. McCarthy stuck by his position that the RNC was referring to ongoing probes into Republicans who were not at the Capitol on January 6, but have been subpoenaed anyway.
McCarthy declined to comment on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell chiding the RNC for "singling out" fellow lawmakers for retribution by censuring Cheney and Kinzinger. "Traditionally, the view of the national party committees is that we support all members of our party regardless of their positions on some issues," McConnell said Tuesday.
The RNC should be able to have its say, McCarthy countered. "I think they have a right to do their resolution," he said.
Still, he added that all the infighting that has followed the censure of Kinzinger and Cheney is a lost opportunity for the GOP to focus on going after Biden.
"I think the very best thing we should be doing as a party is focusing on what the American voter wants. And what they really want is lower their gas prices," McCarthy said, adding that hammering the Biden administration on inflation, calls to defund the police, and mask mandates in schools are the way Republicans can regain control of the House this fall.
"Those are all the challenges people are worried about each and every day," McCarthy said. "And those are the things I'm focused on here."