Rep. Liz Cheney is denying she recorded or leaked a call with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, in which the fellow Republican said he planned to tell then-President Donald Trump to resign after the Jan 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
“The select committee has asked Kevin McCarthy to speak with us about these events but he has so far declined,” a spokesman for Cheney (R-Wyo.) said in a statement. “Representative Cheney did not record or leak the tape and does not know how the reporters got it.”
Thursday evening, newly released audio confirmed New York Times reporting that claimed McCarthy told fellow members of the Republican party on a call of his frustrations with Trump following the deadly riot and intended to tell the then-president to resign.
Just after the report was released, McCarthy (R-Calif.) and his spokesman adamantly denied the allegations, calling it “totally false and wrong.”
“The New York Times’ reporting on me is totally false and wrong. It comes as no surprise that the corporate media is obsessed with doing everything it can to further a liberal agenda. This promotional book tour is no different. If reporters were interested in truth why would they ask for a comment after the book was printed?” He wrote in a statement shared on Twitter.
“The past year and a half have proven that our country was better off when President Trump was in the White House and rather than address the real issues facing Americans, the corporate media is more concerned with profiting from manufactured political intrigue from politically-motivated sources,” McCarthy continued.
“Our country has suffered enough under failed one-party Democrat rule and no amount of media ignorance and bias will stop Americans from delivering a clear message this fall that it is time for change.”
But hours later, the Times shared an audio clip of the call, airing it on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show.”
On Friday, more audio obtained by the New York Times was released, this time by CNN.
The audio — recorded one day after his call with top Republicans — features McCarthy revealing to the House GOP that Trump admitted “some responsibility for what happened” on Jan 6.
“But let me be very clear to you and I have been very clear to the President. He bears responsibility for his words and actions. No if, ands or buts,” McCarthy said, according to the report.
“I asked him personally today, does he hold responsibility for what happened? Does he feel bad about what happened? He told me he does have some responsibility for what happened. And he needs to acknowledge that.”
“Now, this is one personal fear I have,” McCarthy is heard saying. “I do not want to get into any conversation about Pence pardoning.”
“Again, the only discussions I would have him is that I think this will pass, and it would be my recommendation you should resign,” he says. “I mean that would be my take, but I don’t think he would take it – but I don’t know.”
Cheney was heard as one of the other participants on the call.
McCarthy has not publicly addressed the audio since it was released and reportedly spoke with the former president Thursday evening, the Washington Post reported, citing two people familiar with the conversation.
The sources said Trump was not upset by the then-majority leader’s remarks, and was glad McCarthy did not ask him to resign at the time.
McCarthy’s comments were reported on at the time, with multiple outlets citing various anonymous Republican sources.
McCarthy’s office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.