Audio reveals Kevin McCarthy planned to urge Trump to resign after Capitol riot

Audio reveals Kevin McCarthy planned to urge Trump¹ to resign after Capitol riot

Transcript²

U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy had planned to get former President Donald Trump to resign after the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, The New York Times revealed in an audio recording³ Thursday.

In the recorded conversation, McCarthy, a Republican, reportedly told a group of GOP leaders that he didn't believe Trump would voluntarily step down, and contemplated⁴ rallying Congress to have him impeached⁵ a second time, saying that he believed the measure would pass both the House and Senate.

"I'm seriously thinking of having that conversation with him tonight," McCarthy said. "From what I know of him — I mean, you guys know him too — do you think he would ever back away?"

McCarthy said he would alert the former president of his plans to begin an impeachment⁶ trial if he did not resign.

"I think this will pass, and that would be my recommendation you should resign," McCarthy said. "That would be my take, but I don't think he would take it, but I don't know."

McCarthy had previously⁷ denied having the conversation, saying that an earlier New York Times report was "totally false and wrong." However the audio, which seems to corroborate⁸ the story, was later released by NYT journalists Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns, authors of new book This Will Not Pass, an account of the 2020 election.

In the recording, the then-No. 3 House Republican Liz Cheney can be heard asking McCarthy about whether a 25th Amendment⁹ succession plan could be triggered and about Trump's possible resignation.

A Cheney spokesman said Friday morning that the House select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol attack "has asked Kevin McCarthy to speak with us about these events but he has so far declined. Representative Cheney did not record or leak the tape and does not know how the reporters got it."

In January, the committee asked McCarthy to appear and share more about his interest to have Trump resign. However, McCarthy swiftly rejected the idea of testifying.

Trump eventually faced an impeachment charge for inciting¹⁰ an insurrection a week after the riot. During that time, a majority of senators voted to convict Trump — 57 to 43, including seven Republicans. But two-thirds, or 67 votes, was needed to convict. It was the second time Trump was acquitted¹¹ in an impeachment trial.

In 2019, articles of impeachment were brought against Trump for the first time for abuse of power and obstruction¹² of Congress, but he was also acquitted.

Another recording emerged on Friday

The New York Times published another tape on Friday it says was recorded during a private House GOP meeting on Jan. 11, 2021, in which McCarthy said Trump acknowledged some responsibility for the attack.

"I asked him personally today, does he hold responsibility for what happened?" Mr. McCarthy said, according to the Times. "Does he feel bad about what happened? He told me he does have some responsibility for what happened and he'd need to acknowledge that."

Earlier this year, McCarthy denied knowledge of those comments at a press conference.

From January 13, 2022:

Q: "Did you tell House Republicans on their January 11 phone call that President Trump told you he agreed that he bore some responsibility for January 6th?"

The question of Trump's responsibility for the attack is central to the investigation¹³ by the House select committee.

Tensions had been high between McCarthy and Trump on Jan. 6

McCarthy and Trump had a shouting match during a phone call during the Jan. 6 attack, where McCarthy pleaded with Trump to take notice that the rioters were Trump supporters. However, Trump responded, "Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are."

Days later, McCarthy took to the House floor later to say Trump "bears responsibility" for his role in the attack. The rift¹⁴ appeared it would stay — until McCarthy flew to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida within weeks of the attack and appeared in a photo with Trump, seemingly mending this feud¹⁵ between them.

The recording puts McCarthy in a tough position with his party. In the wake of the news, he received mixed reviews from his rank and file.

"@GOPLeader - you should have trusted my instincts, not your own," Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz tweeted Friday.

However, Trump likely remains¹⁶ the ultimate judge on McCarthy's ambitions. And with mended fences in their past already, it's very possible McCarthy can survive a new controversy¹⁷.

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

4 contemplated   

adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The doctor contemplated the difficult operation he had to perform. 医生仔细地考虑他所要做的棘手的手术。
• The government has contemplated reforming the entire tax system. 政府打算改革整个税收体制。

5 impeached   

v.控告（某人）犯罪( impeach的过去式和过去分词 )；弹劾；对（某事物）怀疑；提出异议

参考例句：

• Elected officials can be impeached. 经过选举产生的官员可以被弹劾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The judge was impeached for taking a bribe. 这个法官被检举接受贿赂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 impeachment   

n.弹劾；控告；怀疑

参考例句：

• Impeachment is considered a drastic measure in the United States.在美国，弹劾被视为一种非常激烈的措施。
• The verdict resulting from his impeachment destroyed his political career.他遭弹劾后得到的判决毁了他的政治生涯。

7 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

8 corroborate   

v.支持，证实，确定

参考例句：

• He looked at me anxiously,as if he hoped I'd corroborate this.他神色不安地看着我，仿佛他希望我证实地的话。
• It appeared that what he said went to corroborate my account.看来他所说的和我叙述的相符。

9 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

10 inciting   

刺激的，煽动的

参考例句：

• What are you up to inciting mutiny and insubordination? 你们干吗在这里煽动骚动的叛乱呀。
• He was charged with inciting people to rebel. 他被控煽动民众起来叛乱。

11 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

12 obstruction   

n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物

参考例句：

• She was charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.她被指控妨碍警察执行任务。
• The road was cleared from obstruction.那条路已被清除了障碍。

13 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

14 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

15 feud   

n.长期不和；世仇；v.长期争斗；世代结仇

参考例句：

• How did he start his feud with his neighbor?他是怎样和邻居开始争吵起来的？
• The two tribes were long at feud with each other.这两个部族长期不和。

16 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

17 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。