Jan. 6 Committee Looks At ‘Pence Pardoning’ Trump Line From McCarthy Tapes

The House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack is focusing in on a specific line from audiotapes of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy discussing whether then-President Donald Trump should resign or not.

“Now, this is one personal fear I have. I do not want to get into any conversation about [former Vice President Mike] Pence pardoning,” McCarthy said on the January 10, 2021 recording.

The recording showed that McCarthy, who may become Speaker of the House if the Republicans win back the majority, may have believed that Trump was responsible for the Capitol riots and may have taken part in criminal acts leading up to it.

McCarthy’s words signal that there may have been conversations surrounding a pardon of Trump indicating that he did something to be pardoned from.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming), who is one of the two Republicans on the January 6 committee, may have extra insight into the conversation. At the time she was the House Republican Conference Chair and was on the call. The House Minority Leader has rejected the House committee’s requests to speak with him.