New audio reveals McCarthy said Trump admitted bearing some responsibility for Capitol attack
New audio reveals McCarthy said Trump admitted bearing some responsibility for Capitol attack
By Melanie Zanona, CNN
Updated 12:50 PM ET, Fri April 22, 2022
Hear Kevin McCarthy discuss his conversation with Trump about Jan. 6 03:52
https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/22/politics/trump-january-6-responsibility-book/index.html
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(CNN)In the days following the January 6 insurrection, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told Republican lawmakers on a private conference call that then-President Donald Trump had admitted bearing some responsibility for the deadly attack, according to new audio -- a significant admission that sheds light on Trump's mindset in the immediate aftermath of the US Capitol riots.
A readout of that conversation, which took place on January 11, 2021, had been previously reported by CNN. But two New York Times reporters obtained an audio recording of the conference call for their upcoming book, "This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden and the Battle for America's Future," and shared it with CNN.
"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 told House Republicans on January 11, 2021, according to the audio obtained by CNN. "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."
On a separate call the day before, McCarthy said, "I had it with this guy. What he did is unacceptable. Nobody can defend that, and nobody should defend it." The book's authors say those comments were in reference to Trump.
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