House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has been at the center of controversy on Capitol Hill after the New York Times released audio of a phone call made in the days after the Jan. 6 attack where McCarthy can be heard disparaging former President Trump and blasting several of his conference members for dangerous rhetoric.
The big picture: McCarthy, one of Trump's staunchest allies, is on the verge of becoming House speaker after November's midterms. But his path to success relies on stalwart conservative support: Defections from too many GOP members could scuttle his chances. Here's what's happened so far in the aftermath of the tapes:
April 21: Two New York Times reporters publish an excerpt of their book, "This Will Not Pass," that details a call on January 10, 2021 between McCarthy and other top Republicans where McCarthy said he planned to urge Trump to resign over the Jan. 6 riot. The Republican leader denies the account, calling it "totally false and wrong." ...
- Later that evening, the reporters — Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns — give a tape of the call to the Rachel Maddow Show where McCarthy is heard speaking with Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and others about Trump: