Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who was ousted from his seat in early October, reportedly shoved one of the eight Republican Congressmen who voted him out on Tuesday.
NPR Congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales claimed she was speaking with Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) on Capitol Hill when McCarthy walked by and shoved Burchett in the back with his elbow. Burchett fell toward her and began to yell at McCarthy.
Burchett proceeded to chase McCarthy, who was flocked by security detail. The reporter ran behind him in pursuit. When confronted about the shove, McCarthy denied it. Burchett accused McCarthy of having “no guts” and being “childish,” and said it was his first interaction with the former Speaker since he voted to remove him.
“Hey Kevin, why’d you walk behind me and elbow me in the back?” Burchett reportedly said.
“I didn’t elbow you in the back,” McCarthy replied.
Burchett shot back: “You got no guts, you did so, … the reporter said it right there, what kind of chicken move is that… You’re pathetic man, you are so pathetic.”
Grisales said she had “NEVER” seen something like this in Congress.
Have NEVER seen this on Capitol Hill:
While talking to @RepTimBurchett after the GOP conference meeting, former @SpeakerMcCarthy walked by with his detail and McCarthy shoved Burchett. Burchett lunged towards me. I thought it was a joke, it was not. And a chase ensued…
— Claudia Grisales (on Bsky & Threads) (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
Burchett later confirmed his side of the story to CNN. “Everybody saw it,” he claimed. “He’s a bully with $17 million and a security detail. And he’s the type of guy that when you were a kid would throw a rock over the fence and run home and hide behind his momma’s skirt.”
"Everybody saw it."
Tim Burchett claims Kevin McCarthy shoved him and landed a blow to his kidneys on Capitol Hill today.
A reporter who was standing by confirms the accusation. pic.twitter.com/qy4iS89eku
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) November 14, 2023
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McCarthy is still currently serving in Congress, representing California’s 23rd District. He recently voiced his uncertainty about whether he will run for reelection in 2024.
“I got the holidays. I will talk to my family about the ideas of what is going forward, and then I will make a decision,” McCarthy told CNN in an interview that aired on Sunday. “There’s so many ways you can do that to make sure you’re getting the job done. And I’m going to look at all options.”
McCarthy has been succeeded by Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA). Johnson was elected to Speakership after a highly tumultuous three-week process during which several different Congressmen were suggested for the role and voted down by the GOP.
The whole process was led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who claimed he filed the motion to vacate the Speakership due to his principled objections to McCarthy’s approval of large spending bills (particularly for Ukrainian aid) and his refusal to release files related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
But McCarthy thinks Gaetz is a pure opportunist. “He would throw his country away to try to protect himself for what would come out as the truth,” McCarthy said, implying that Gaetz came after him simply because of an ethics probe McCarthy allowed concerning allegations that Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and misuse of funds.
Gaetz weighed in on the shoving story, writing, “This is wild. McCarthy resorting to pushing people in the halls. What a weak, pathetic, husk of a man.”
This is wild.
McCarthy resorting to pushing people in the halls.
What a weak, pathetic, husk of a man. https://t.co/ssx8OJFki1
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 14, 2023
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