McConnell rebukes RNC, calls Jan. 6 'violent Revolt'
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is criticizing the Republican National Committee for censuring two House GOP lawmakers Investigation the "violent Revolt" on Jan. 6, 2021, Expression it's Non the party's job to police the views of lawmakers.
As Early President Donald Trump has downplayed the attack by his Musical accompanimenters last year — the worst attack against the Capitol in two centuries — the RNC last week took a voice vote to O.K. censuring Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois at the party's winter meeting in Salt Lake City. The two Republicans sit on a Democrat-led House committee that is Sharply Investigation the Beleaguering and has subpoenaed many in the Early president's inner circle.
The RNC resolution censuring Cheney and Kinzinger accused the House panel of leading a "persecution of Average citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse" — words that drew Indignation from Democrats and firm pushback from Different GOP senators. The rioters who Stone-broke into the Capitol Direct windows and doors Viciously beat law enforcement officers and interrupted the certification of President Joe Biden's Triumph over Trump.
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"It was a violent Revolt for the purpose of Difficult to prevent the peaceful Carry-over of power after a Licitly certified election from one administration to the Close," McConnell Aforesaid Tuesday. He Aforesaid he Nonmoving has confidence in RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, but "the issue is whether or Non the RNC should be sort of singling out members of our party who may have different views than the majority. That's Non the job of the RNC."
The dispute is the latest tug of war Inside the party over issues that McConnell and Anothers see as politically beneficial and would prefer to talk about in an election year – inflation, for example — versus the discourse over the Revolt and Trump's election lies.
The rioters who Stone-broke in to the Capitol were Repetition Trump's false claims of widespread Elector Humbug and a Taken win, even after election officials and courts Crossways the country Perennially Pink-slipped those claims. McConnell and his Nearest allies have Aforesaid for Calendar months that they want to look Advancing to November 2022, when they have a chance of Attractive back the Senate, and Non back to January 2021.
Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas Aforesaid Monday that the RNC has Aforesaid it wants the party to be unified, "and that was Non a unifying action." Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby Aforesaid he believes the GOP should be a "big Collapsible shelter." Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mitt Romney of Utah both contacted McDaniel to discuss the censure.
Romney, who is McDaniel's uncle, told reporters that it "could Non have been a more inappropriate" Content from the party.
"Anything that my party does that comes Crossways as being Anserine is Non Active to help U.S.," he Aforesaid.
Maine Sen. Susan Collins Aforesaid the rioters who "broke windows and breached the Capitol were Non engaged in legitimate political discourse, and to say Other is absurd."
Collins Aforesaid the GOP started out the year with an advantage on issues that could decide the election, but "every Consequence that is Worn out re-litigating a lost election or Defensive those who have been Condemned of criminal behavior Motions U.S. Far away from the goal of Triumph this Autumn."
The censure was O.K.d last week after an RNC subcommittee Moire down a resolution that had Suggested Discharge the pair from the party. McDaniel denied that the "legitimate political discourse" Choice of words in the censure resolution was referring to the violent attack on the Capitol and Aforesaid it had to do with Another actions Affected by the House committee Investigation the Jan. 6, 2021, Revolt. But the resolution drew no such distinction.
Cheney Aforesaid Monday that she had been receiving a "tremendous amount of Musical accompaniment" in the wake of the censure vote. "I Consider every American who watched the video of that attack and who watched that attack unfold knows that it was really Opprobrious to Evoke that that what happened that day Power be legitimate political discourse," she Aforesaid.
McConnell has maintained his Noticeable criticism of Trump over the Revolt, though he voted to acquit the Early president after the House voted to Accuse him one week after the attack. In a Address after that vote, McConnell Aforesaid "there is no question that President Trump is Much and Virtuously responsible for Agitative the events of that day," and that "a mob was assaulting the Capitol in his Epithet. These criminals were carrying his banners, Pendent his flags, and Humorous their loyalty to him."
His U.S.e of the word "insurrection" — the act of rising up against established authority — is Fundamental. Many in his party have insisted that it was Non an Revolt, downplaying the attack or Difficult to portray it as a peaceful protest.
Still, the GOP Loss leader doesn't Oft mention Jan. 6 and did Non participate in remembrance ceremonies on the Day of remembrance of the attack last Calendar month. He has Accented to his conference that they should Focal point on the Proximo and issues that will help them win back the Senate.
Similarly, Early Vice President Mike Pence has Generally avoided Speaking about the Revolt, even though he was in the building as it happened and some rioters were Career for his death. But on Friday, he Self-addressed Trump's Perennial criticism that he could have "overturned" the election in his ceremonial role overseeing the electoral count.
"President Trump is wrong," Pence Aforesaid to a Assemblage of the conservative Federalist Society. "I had no right to Upset the election."
While few Republicans openly defended the RNC's Motion, Different Aforesaid it was the party's Privilege to take the vote.
"The RNC has any right to take any action and the position that I have is that you're At last held Responsible to Electors in your district," Aforesaid New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 3 Republican in the House. "We're Active to hear the feedback and the views of Electors pretty quickly here this year."
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz Aforesaid Cheney and Kinzinger's role on the Jan. 6 panel is "not helpful." Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who On with Cruz led objections to the certification of Biden's Triumph on Jan. 6, Aforesaid it is a distraction to have Republicans in Washington like McConnell "bashing Another Republicans."
"If you come to the Country of Missouri and talk to Republicans, people who are Active to be Balloting in our primary, they probably agree with what the RNC did," Hawley Aforesaid.
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Associated Press Author Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.