As GOP donor criticism of infrastructure grows louder, McCarthy remains silent

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WASHINGTON House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy silently watched Republican Representative Paul Gosar tweet a fantasy anime video of him killing a fellow Democrat and wielding swords against President Joe Biden.

He has kept his distance as some of the 13 House GOP lawmakers who voted last week for a bipartisan infrastructure bill were targeted by the far right, one of them Representative Fred Upton, R-Mich., Revealing that he had received death threats.

Man who left a threatening voicemail called Upton a traitor for supporting the bipartisan $ 550 billion bill to strengthen roads and public transit, same label, far-right Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., Used for the 13 Republicans as she tweeted their names and office numbers.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Called for the impeachment of Rep. John Katko, RN.Y., as a prominent member of the House Homeland Security Committee after voting for the infrastructure bill.

McCarthy has not denounced Gosars’ behavior as Democrats prepare to censor Arizona lawmakers. He has also remained silent on targeting members of his caucus who have supported the transportation bill, although he has been active on social media this week to highlight rising inflation and criticize the agenda. democrats.

The House Minority Leaders’ Office did not respond to NBC News requests for comment.

Some critics of McCarthy say he is pleading the fifth, politically speaking, because his priority is to be President in 14 months and he is afraid of losing the support of the Trump movement.

As with any GOP controversy, even one that now involves a threat to human life, Kevin McCarthy’s leadership is only informed by what guarantees him the presidency next November, said David Jolly, a former congressman. Republican who served from 2014 to 2017, when McCarthy was House Majority Leader. He will lose votes by committing, but will end up keeping them by remaining silent.

Violent nuances reflect such a volatile political environment that the Department of Homeland Security warns domestic extremists are promoting internet violence and calling for attacks on congressional lawmakers, as well as school and public health officials . Former President Donald Trump and his associates are under investigation by a special House committee looking to find out if their lies and lies about a stolen election sparked the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill .

Trump berated RINOs in the House and Senate for giving Biden and the Democrats a victory over the infrastructure package, using an acronym for Republican in name only. He said these lawmakers should be ashamed of themselves.

The bill was developed by a bipartisan group and backed by 19 Senate Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who called it a godsend to his state of Kentucky. President Joe Biden plans to sign it on Monday.

Jolly said part of McCarthy’s fear of losing support from Trump, but also from the Trump caucus. The former congressman, who dropped his GOP affiliation in 2018, added that he was part of a group of Republicans who blocked McCarthy from becoming president in 2015, and that McCarthy has never, ever forgotten the humiliation of this moment.

Jolly said he knew then that McCarthy would never forget that day and would do everything in his power to secure the presidency at the next opportunity, he said. It is now.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., Took aim at McCarthy’s failure to condemn right-wing insanity.

Democrats say the silence of Republican leaders shows the party is captured by an increasingly radical and authoritarian movement that was responsible for the January 6 riot.

President Nancy Pelosi called on McCarthy to join her in condemning Gosars’ actions. His deputies reproached him for having ignored the repulsive threats from Mr. Gosars.

Chief McCarthy’s refusal to take violence seriously is dangerous, said the four co-chairs of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. In any other job in America, if a coworker made a video killing another coworker, that person would be fired.

Gosar, for his part, appears to have deleted his tweet amid the outcry, without apologizing.

I do not espouse violence or evil towards any member of Congress or Mr. Biden. The video shows the fight taking place next week on the floor of the House and symbolizes the battle for America’s soul, he said, before criticizing the views of Representative Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez, DN.Y., who was pictured. This video is truly a symbolic representation of a fight over immigration policy.

Ocasio-Cortez responded by calling Gosar a creepy member I work with who raises money for neo-Nazi groups and adding: And hell has no consequences bc @GOPLeader encourages him with an apology.

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