‘Did You Ever Raise That Issue?’: McCarthy Roasts Media Over Lack Of Interest In Security Concerns Surrounding Democrat

Speaker of the House, newly elected Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), a heated exchange took place between the media and him during Thursday’s first weekly press briefing.

After answering several questions regarding the embattled New York Republican Rep. George SantosMcCarthy turned the script on reporters and asked them why they didn’t show the same enthusiasm when answering questions about subjects on both sides of the political spectrum.

WATCH:

CNN cut away from Speaker McCarthy’s press conference, when he begins hammering Rep. Swalwell because he is allegedly compromised, as well as Rep. Schiff for lying repeatedly about having evidence that collusion. pic.twitter.com/fL5xcblNI1

— Bill D’Agostino (@Banned_Bill) January 12, 2023

The confrontation began with a question about McCarthy’s decision – which he had promised months before ever receiving the speaker’s gavel — to remove Congressmen Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) from the House Intelligence Committee and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“You said you’re going to let Democrats appoint their own members to the committee, but you’ve also indicated you’re not going to let —” A reporter started.

“I was very clear early on,” McCarthy interjected. “Let me phrase something very direct to you. If you got the briefing I got from the FBI, you wouldn’t have Swalwell on any committee. And you’re going to tell me other Democrats couldn’t fill that slot? He cannot get a security clearance in the private sector — so would you like to give him a government clearance?”

“You asked me questions about Santos,” McCarthy continued. “Did you ask the questions about Swalwell?”

McCarthy didn’t say that Swalwell was a member the House Intelligence Committee and had had access to information not even allowed to other members.

“He had more information than the majority of all the members. Did you ever raise that issue?” McCarthy asked. “No! but you should have. You’re going to tell me there’s 200 other Democrats that couldn’t fill that slot? But they kept him on it. The only way that they even knew it came forward is when they went to nominate him to the Intel Committee — and then the FBI came and told the leadership then, ‘He’s got a problem.’ And they kept him on. That jeopardized all of us.”

McCarthy then turned to Schiff and said that he was his opponent. “openly lied to the American public,” As he went on, CNN quickly ended the press conference and returned to its normal programming.