Members of the House Republican Conference ignored leader Kevin McCarthy last week, when he warned them against criticizing colleagues by name based on the intelligence that it could spark further political violence.
Why it matters: McCarthy made it clear that opponents who cite names, instead of expressing their complaints in more general terms, can put a literal target on a politician, especially with tensions so high after the January 6 events.
It happened with Rep. Liz Cheney, the president of the GOP conference, after she said she would support President Trump’s impeachment.
- She and several other members had to increase their security and take extra precautions because of death threats and other alarming warnings after her colleagues pointed them out in their complaints.
What McCarthy said: The minority leader in the Chamber issued his warning during a conference call last Monday. He said his concern was motivated by the FBI instructions he receives.
- “It doesn’t matter which side of the position you were on: I respect, I respect because you did what you did. But what we’re saying on television, when we say the name of a member … This is not the time to do it it. ”
- “You can incite something else. The country is very divided and we know that. We are not going to put any members, I don’t care who are Republicans, Democrats or anyone who is not in Congress. Observe our words carefully. weekly reports. I saw something I hadn’t seen before. “
Several minutes later, McCarthy repeated the message: “Emotions are high. What you say is important. We are not going to put other people in danger. Let’s see what words we are using and we will definitely not use the names of other members in any media. “
Days later, some GOP members ignored him and openly criticized his colleagues
- Rep. Adam Kinzinger tweeted this the name of his Republican colleague, Dep. Majorie Taylor Greene, “will be forgotten next January”.
- Representative Lauren Boebart (R-Colorado) scoffed at Mayor Nancy Pelosi about the House’s new mask fines.
One of the most egregious attacks, which led to a media storm, was when several House Freedom Caucus members went after Cheney for voting for Trump’s impeachment.
- On voting day, members circulated a petition to remove it from its leadership role.
- Cheney is now facing a series of threats against her, many of inflamed Trump supporters irritated by his vote, said a source with direct knowledge of the threat.
- “We don’t comment on security issues,” Cheney’s communications director Jeremy Adler told Axios.
What we’re hearing: McCarthy’s team told Axios that he is not looking for repercussions. Spokesman Matt Sparks said the leader wants to reduce the temperature and is encouraging members to be aware of the current environment.