Did former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy assault a member of the House Republican caucus?
Claudia Grisales, a congressional correspondent for National Public Radio, reported on Tuesday that she observed Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee being forcibly elbowed by McCarthy.
Following a meeting of the Republican House caucus, Grisales detailed an odd and callous altercation in which McCarthy allegedly fired a cheap shot at Burchett while he was averted from him.
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 (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
The Washington Post reports that Burchett was one of eight Republicans who successfully voted to remove McCarthy from the speaker’s office last month.
Grisales claims that Burchett pursued McCarthy after the alleged cheap shot by verbally challenging the former Republican leader on social media.
“Why’d you elbow me in the back, Kevin?!” Burchett was reported as saying in an X post by Grisales.
“Hey Kevin, you got any guts!?”
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 (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
McCarthy allegedly denied further that he had hit Burchett during the altercation.
Burchett then looked back at me and said, "jerk" referring to McCarthy. I asked if he had done that before, Burchett said "no."
That's when the chase ensued. Burchett took off after McCarthy and his detail. I chased behind with my mic.
— Claudia Grisales (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
As a result, Burchett allegedly referred to McCarthy as a “pathetic man,” as stated by Grisales, following the series of events.
@RepTimBurchett yelled after catching up to McCarthy, "Hey Kevin, why'd you walk behind me and elbow me in the back?"
KM: "I didn't elbow you in the back."
Burchett: "You got no guts, you did so, …the reporter said it right there, what kind of chicken move is that…"
— Claudia Grisales (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
The Tennessee representative’s initial encounter with McCarthy subsequent to his dismissal as speaker, as reported by the Burchett, occurred during the dispute.
Burchett adds, "did you just see that?" he asks in disbelief. I'm stunned, too.
Says he won't follow up with McCarthy on what happened, "he's on a downhill spiral… he just, that was pretty gutless of him. I'm disappointed in his, in him."
— Claudia Grisales (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
CNN reports that McCarthy’s 269-day tenure as Speaker was the shortest in 140 years.
Roll Call reports that the Californian holds the unique distinction of being the first Speaker of the House in American history to be removed from office.