This morning Kevin McCArthy threw in with the Democrats and suggested that Sessions should recuse himself. But an hour later he claimed he’d been the victim of ‘spin’ and said he wasn’t suggesting that at all:
POLITICO – House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Thursday morning that “it would be easier” for an investigation into ties between the Russian government and the campaign of President Donald Trump to continue if Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from it.
But McCarthy sought to walk back that suggestion less than an hour later, telling Fox News’s “Fox & Friends” that “I’m not calling on him to recuse himself” and complaining that “it’s amazing how people spin things so quickly.”
“I think, the trust of the American people, you recuse yourself in these situations,” McCarthy (R-Calif.) said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “I just think for any investigation going forward, you want to make sure everybody trusts the investigation … that there’s no doubt within the investigation.”
“Does that require his recusal, congressman?” panelist Mark Halperin followed up.
“I think it would be easier from that standpoint, yes,” McCarthy said.
On “Fox & Friends,” McCarthy said his comments on “Morning Joe” had been misconstrued and suggested that the Post had timed the release of its story about Sessions’ meetings with the Russian ambassador to supplant coverage of Trump’s well-received address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night.
“I’m not calling on him to recuse himself. I was asked on ‘Morning Joe’ if he needs to recuse himself going forward, and, as you just heard, Attorney General Sessions said he would recuse himself going forward [if] appropriate, and that’s all my answer was,” McCarthy told “Fox News.” “It’s amazing how this story comes out right after a great speech by this president and the timing.”
Republicans should be fighting for Sessions, not giving in to Democrats based on phony allegations.
I’m glad McCarthy at least walked back his claim but he should have known better in the first place than to add to the media hysteria.