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In the immediate aftermath of the January 6 Capitol riot, Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy placed at least partial responsibility on then President Donald Trump.
Trump held a rally attended by QAnon adherents, White supremacist and White nationalist organizations and his most loyal MAGA fans. During the crowd frenzy, Trump encouraged his followers to march on the Capitol to give Congress a message—promising to join them.
The result was a violent mob calling for the deaths of several government officials, over a million dollars in damages, assaults on law enforcement and the deaths of five people including Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick.
But in the months since then, McCarthy and other Republican leaders have sung a very different tune. Searching for anyone else to blame, the GOP leadership got creative.
Sick of the gaslighting and shifting of blame to anyone but Trump, Democratic Representative and fellow Californian Eric Swalwell called out McCarthy on Twitter.
You can see Swalwell's post here:
Answer me this: if @GOPLeader McCarthy thinks anyone but Trump was responsible for January 6, why is Trump the ONLY person McCarthy contacted to call off the attack? McCarthy didn\u2019t call @SpeakerPelosi or Antifa, etc to stop it. He knew then and he knows now.— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@Rep. Eric Swalwell) 1627854043
The California Democrat wrote:
"Answer me this: If [GOP House Minority Leader] McCarthy thinks anyone but Trump was responsible for January 6, why is Trump the ONLY person McCarthy contacted to call off the attack?"
"McCarthy didn't call [Speaker of the House Nancy] Pelosi or Antifa, etc to stop it."
"He knew then and he knows now."
People found it to be a very valid question.
When the House was debating Trump's second impeachment, McCarthy appeared clear on who incited and who could have ended the January 6 insurrection.
At the time, McCarthy stated:
"The President bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding."
So why the change of heart?
Why did Kevin McCarthy (allegedly, per witnesses) insist that Trump needed to *communicate directly to the insurrectionists*, and tell them to stop?\n\n(If he didn't suspect Trump's involvement, he would have asked only for reinforcements of the police.)https://twitter.com/RepSwalwell/status/1421949035406036994?s=20\u00a0\u2026— Monty \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8Lincoln's Speeches\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 Boa (@Monty \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8Lincoln's Speeches\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 Boa) 1627854200
Even if the president was not at the capitol himself, you would think they would have had him in the air on Air Force One or something. The fact that he was parked in front of his TV the whole time doesn't pass the smell test.— Breeze12357 (@Breeze12357) 1627854333
About 2 wks ago, I saw one of the specials on the Insurrection, too. Watching the whole attack in motion then scared the bejezus out of me. New footage has come out since to how much worse it was, even from then. SCARY. And Trump wanted it.— Abigail@TrueBlue (@Abigail@TrueBlue) 1627855625
This whole thing is playing out like a Scooby Doo episode. We all know who\u2019s behind it. Good God they had shirts made and flags with the fkn guys name on it.pic.twitter.com/MyayQntQle— ZeldaFtz (@ZeldaFtz) 1627856441
People felt McCarthy's attempts to shift blame were disingenuous.
Guess he forgot he said this or runs away when questioned about it— The MASKED Avenger (@The MASKED Avenger) 1627869633
Oh, he knows!pic.twitter.com/XzHySERmz9— Just Me (@Just Me) 1627854219
His lies are getting so old and tired, he needs to be removed.— Peggy Sally (@Peggy Sally) 1627873356
@RepSwalwell makes such a logical argument.— Braunish--Ding Dong the Witch is Dead (@Braunish--Ding Dong the Witch is Dead) 1627909117
He knows he played a role.pic.twitter.com/GswjyyhCZ6— TheWrongRight (@TheWrongRight) 1627854452
Gym was at the Gym.— Robert Lindsay (@Robert Lindsay) 1627954999
#TrumpMustTestify\n#TrumpIsTheHitman\n#ArrestTrumpNow— Floridademocrat (@Floridademocrat) 1627917885
McCarthy has yet to offer a direct response to Swalwell's tweet.