If one really thinks about it, Kevin McCarthy likely had little to do with planning January 6th and we say that for a myriad of reasons, the biggest of which is the risk that the face of the Republican party would be involved in the type of stuff that destroys a party forever.

That doesn’t mean that McCarthy didn’t see weird things during January 6th, and we know he had a very heated phone call with Trump. McCarthy feared for his life. Trump didn’t care – at all, and was, as always, thinking only of himself; “Well, Kevin, maybe they’re more upset about the election than you.” (How cool would it have been if, in the moment, McCarthy said; “No doubt, since I’m not upset about the election at all. The guy I voted for won.” Too cool for McCarthy.)

The other thing, and this doesn’t get talked about enough, is that McCarthy is in a position to have heard things since Jan. 6th. This would be hearsay, which is not prohibited in Congressional testimony, and that “hearsay” could point the committee in a direction that they had yet to hear about or consider.

Thus it is that the Select Committee is inviting Kevin McCarthy in for a talk. McCarthy is in a no-win situation. If he just goes and answers questions, he better not lie. He doesn’t know what others have said. Additionally, he will infuriate Trump if he does just voluntarily go in and speak to the committee. Infuriating Trump could endanger his chances of being Speaker of the House.

On the other hand, if he refuses, it will appear that he has something to hide and that Republicans did have something to do with January 6th, which also endangers his chances of Speaker. It is still possible that a majority of the American public will be shocked at the level of planning and sophistication behind January 6th, including possibly charging Trump himself. McCarthy could end up on the wrong side of history, the law, and the voters.

Perhaps that’s why the committee wants to talk to him:

“If he has information he wants to share with us, and is willing to voluntarily come in, I’m not taking the invitation off the table,” Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) told ABC News. “If Leader McCarthy has nothing to hide, he can voluntarily come before the committee.”

McCarthy responded in a way manner that means absolutely nothing at this point. “I don’t have anything to add. I have been very public, but I wouldn’t hide from anything.”

One would make a lot of money betting that McCarthy doesn’t answer questions about his chat with Trump down in Mar-a-Lago. A transcript of that chat might tell the American public almost everything it needs to know, which is why the Committee would likely ask about it and McCarthy would likely evade it. Only two people heard that conversation and one won’t tell the truth in a million years.

McCarthy says he’s been open about everything. It will be interesting to see whether he’s open to speaking with the committee.

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