House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) blasted the House’s impeachment inquiry process Sunday, arguing that removing President Trump would represent an undoing of the 2016 presidential election, even as CBS’s Margaret Brennan reminded him that Vice President Pence would in that case become president.
Appearing on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” McCarthy repeatedly characterized the inquiry as an attempt to “undo” the election.
{mosads}“I think democracy is too precious to think that somebody who’s not on a phone call, that cannot stand before the American public and answer the questions, that somehow we would change the course of that,” McCarthy said in reference to the whistleblower whose complaint led to the inquiry.
Brennan noted that the whistleblower’s attorneys have said he is willing to answer questions submitted by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee. McCarthy demurred on whether he would be willing to accept such an offer.
“I think that the whistleblower should come forward in an open hearing. … He could come down to the basement, but he needs to answer the questions,” he said.
“I have never received that offer, and I’m the lead Republican,” McCarthy added before being told the offer had been made to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee.
McCarthy castigated House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff’s (D-Calif.) handling of the inquiry. When asked by Brennan which witnesses Republicans would like to call, he said, “I think the very first person we should bring, Adam Schiff and his staff.”