Apr 22, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Reporters say "we have a lot more on tape" after releasing McCarthy audio

Erin Doherty

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) arrives for his weekly news conference in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center on March 18, 2022 — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy arrives for a news conference on March 18. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Two New York Times reporters say that they "have a lot more" on tape after releasing audio of House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) saying he planned to urge President Trump to resign over the Jan. 6 riot.

Driving the news: "We have a lot more on tape from this period, which is at the highest levels of American politics. It is sensitive, it's delicate, and it's high-stakes, and we have it all on tape," the New York Times' Jonathan Martin told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow.

"I think it's going to tell a very different story about this period than the story that many people are trying to tell right now," Martin said.
McCarthy on Thursday denied the account, with a spokesperson saying, "McCarthy never said he'd call Trump to say he should resign."
The reporters, Martin and Alex Burns, are set to publish a book, '"This Will Not Pass," out May 3.

The big picture: McCarthy, a Trump loyalist, has said he sees an "opportunity" to become speaker of the House if Republicans retake the chamber in the midterm elections.

But if Trump turned on him, McCarthy's path could be imperiled by the former president's loyalists in the GOP caucus, Axios' Mike Allen reports.

Go deeper ...

Add Axios on Google

Reporters say "we have a lot more on tape" after releasing McCarthy audio

What to read next