Former President Trump reportedly told House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy during a phone call on Jan. 6 that the rioters were “more upset about the election” than the California Republican.
CNN on Friday reported the details of the expletive-filled call between Trump and McCarthy, citing Republicans who were briefed on the call.
The news outlet reported that McCarthy pressed Trump to call off the riot, and they ended up in a shouting match.
According to the lawmakers, Trump said, “Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.”
The quote was first mentioned by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (Wash.), who was one of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, during a town hall. She and other Republicans confirmed it to CNN.
Herrera Beutler, who also later shared the quote in a statement, told the news outlet that the line demonstrated that “either [Trump] didn’t care, which is impeachable, because you cannot allow an attack on your soil, or he wanted it to happen and was OK with it, which makes me so angry.”
Lawmakers told CNN that the comment set off a shouting match between Trump and the House Minority Leader. McCarthy reportedly told the president that rioters were breaking into offices and asked, “Who the f— do you think you are talking to?”
The Hill has reached out to Trump and McCarthy’s offices for comment.
The details come as Democrats argue to a jury of senators that Trump incited the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. The House impeachment managers argued, in part, that Trump didn’t care that the riot was happening.
During the second day of the impeachment trial, the managers briefly mentioned that McCarthy was among several people who personally pleaded with Trump to call off the riot as it was escalating.
Trump’s lawyers on Friday accused Democrats of ignoring Trump asking his supporters to “remain peaceful.”