The theme of this Worst Behavior Watch is revisionism. We’ve seen a lot of Republicans recently try to change their stories or alter the facts around the January 6th insurrection.
Let’s start with Marjorie Taylor Greene. In a hearing to determine whether she had engaged in insurrection, she claimed that she couldn’t recall discussing the events of January 6th with other members, and that she didn’t remember making claims calling her colleagues “traitors” or inciting violence against them.
Greene’s testimony was full of smirks, “I don’t recall”s, and impromptu corrections of statements she was shown making just seconds earlier on previous videos posted to her social media accounts. Anyone who was watching could tell she wasn’t taking the proceedings seriously and was tying herself in knots trying to justify her past statements.
Yesterday, CNN reporter Jim Acosta approached Greene outside the Capitol and asked her to explain her text message to Mark Meadows in which she brought up “Marshall law.” Greene tried to simultaneously claim that (1) she didn’t even know if she had sent that text message, and also that (2) the text message was perfectly crafted to exculpate her. What?
Then there’s Kevin McCarthy. Leaked audio of Republican leadership calls prove that McCarthy wanted Trump to resign in the aftermath of the January 6th insurrection. Not only that, but he said that some Republican members of Congress were to blame for helping incite the violence.
But in the 15 months since, McCarthy has abandoned his initial position and embraced Trumpism, launching attacks at the January 6th Committee for trying to determine the truth about the insurrection – something in which McCarthy no longer seems to be interested.
When the Capitol was under attack, both sides were afraid. But now that the dust has cleared, one side is still trembling, cowering and bending to Trump’s will, lest the next mob be sent after them personally.
