McCarthy on Trump’s ‘lynching’ comparison: ‘That’s not the language I would use’

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he disagreed with President Trump’s rhetoric comparing the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry to a lynching, but added he thinks the president’s frustrations over the investigation are legitimate. 

“So someday, if a Democrat becomes President and the Republicans win the House, even by a tiny margin, they can impeach the President, without due process or fairness or any legal rights,” Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. “All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here – a lynching. But we will WIN!”

So some day, if a Democrat becomes President and the Republicans win the House, even by a tiny margin, they can impeach the President, without due process or fairness or any legal rights. All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here – a lynching. But we will WIN!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 22, 2019 

The remarks sparked a flurry of pushback from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle due to the word’s association with extrajudicial murders of African Americans. But several top House Republicans said while the disavowed the word choice, they agreed with the president’s anger.

{mosads}”That’s not the language I would use,” McCarthy told reporters.  “I don’t agree with that language, pretty simple.”

The California Republican — who is one of Trump’s closest allies in Congress — said while he disagrees with his comments, he believes frustrations over the way Democrats have conducted the probe are legitimate, blasting Democrats for not making the transcripts of witnesses’ depositions available to all members of Congress. 

“It’s very clear what the Democrats are doing here does not have due process,” he said. “It’s not fair, the process is not something that this House is done ever in the past. “

.@GOPLeader on President Trump’s ‘lynching’ tweet: “That’s not the language I would use.”

Full video here: https://t.co/froGrrURSH pic.twitter.com/rkyx3xFgAj

— CSPAN (@cspan) October 22, 2019

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) expressed similar sentiments about Trump’s tweet. 

“He could have used different language, but at the end of the day, the American people deserve a different process, they deserve a fair process,” he said. “And frankly, they deserve access, the press deserves access to what’s going on behind closed doors in these rooms.”

Senate Majority Whip John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the upper chamber, condemned the remarks, telling reporters they were: “Inappropriate. That’s not appropriate in any context.”

And Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) blasted the remarks, calling on the president to disavow his comments due to the historical connotation. 

“We can all disagree on the process and argue merits.  But never should we use terms like “lynching” here. The painful scourge in our history has no comparison to politics, and @realDonaldTrump should retract this immediately. May God help us to return to a better way,” he tweeted.  

We can all disagree on the process, and argue merits. But never should we use terms like “lynching” here. The painful scourge in our history has no comparison to politics, and @realDonaldTrump should retract this immediately. May God help us to return to a better way. https://t.co/URKNgxUfiv

— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) October 22, 2019