CBS anchor Margaret Brennan—the host of Face the Nation—laughed in House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's face after he tried to blame Democrats for the threat of a government shutdown this weekend.
McCarthy's appearance on the program came after he had to rely on Democrats in both the House and Senate to pass a 45-day continuing resolution to temporarily fund the government. This bipartisan legislation incorporates provisions for disaster relief but omits additional assistance for Ukraine.
McCarthy introduced this new bill following the House Republicans' unsuccessful attempt to pass a brief spending measure on Thursday, marking a notable setback. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law late on Saturday evening ahead of the deadline.
You can watch McCarthy's interaction with Brennan in the video below.
McCarthy admitted uncertainty about whether the bill would pass, but then he attempted to place blame squarely on Democrats:
"I wasn't sure it was going to pass. You want to know why? Because the Democrats tried to do everything they can not to let it pass."
Brennan laughed and responded:
"Democrats were the ones who voted for this in a larger number than Republicans to keep the continuing resolution alive."
After McCarthy asked her if she had "watched the [House] floor yesterday," Brennan pointed out that 90 Republicans "voted against" the new measure.
However, McCarthy continued to push his false narrative, saying that Democrats "stood up and did dilatory actions, asked to adjourn."
McCarthy's claims were swiftly called out after footage of his remarks went viral.
Although Congress managed to pass a bill to avert a government shutdown, McCarthy still finds his job at risk.
The House's far-right contingent led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) announced they will seek to oust McCarthy as soon as next week and replace him with one of his deputies, likely Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer.
The Washington Post reported McCarthy's opponents "think Emmer is more attuned to their concerns and will better deliver conservative results."
The controversy over the shutdown—coupled with the GOP's dissatisfaction with the way McCarthy has handled an ongoing impeachment inquiry into the Biden family—emboldened far-right Republicans who'd openly threatened to remove McCarthy from his leadership position.
