Posted on 11/14/2023 8:56:38 AM PST by Miami Rebel
Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN) claims former House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) shoved him while his back was turned.
NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales first reported the encounter on X (formerly Twitter), saying it happened when she spoke with Burchett after the GOP’s conference meeting on Tuesday. Burchett was one of the House Republicans who supported the push to oust McCarthy as Speaker, and according to him and Grisales, McCarthy struck at him which led to an intense encounter.
Burchett's back was to McCarthy and his detail walking by in the hallway, then the lunge.
Burchett responded jokingly as McCarthy kept walking, "Sorry Kevin didn't mean to elbow –" then seriously yelled, "why'd you elbow me in the back Kevin?! Hey Kevin, you got any guts!?"
— Claudia Grisales (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
@RepTimBurchett yelled after catching up to McCarthy, "Hey Kevin, why'd you walk behind me and elbow me in the back?" KM: "I didn't elbow you in the back."
Burchett: "You got no guts, you did so, …the reporter said it right there, what kind of chicken move is that…"
— Claudia Grisales (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
Burchett tells me that's the first point of "communication" with McCarthy since Burchett voted for McCarthy's ouster as speaker last month:
"That's just it" for communication since ouster vote, "He's just a jerk. He's just a childish little…"
— Claudia Grisales (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
Burchett reiterates he hasn't talked to McCarthy since he voted against him.
"No, no that was it. That's it. He's got $17 million to work against me. And he's just a — he should have kept his word. I think that just showed what he's about and it's unfortunate."
— Claudia Grisales (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
Burchett spoke with CNN’s Manu Raju after the incident, saying Grisales’ account was “accurate” and that he was “elbowed in the back,” which he described as “a clean shot at the kidneys.”
“I turned back and there was Kevin,” he said. “For a minute, I was kinda ‘What the heck just happened?’ I chased after him.”
As I have stated many times, he’s a bully with $17 million and a security detail. He is the type of guy that when you are a kid, he would throw the rock over the fence and run home hide behind his mama’s skirt… That is not the way we handle things in East Tennessee. If we have a problem with somebody, I’m gonna look ’em in the eye and talk to them.
If his back was turned, how did he know that Kevin “elbowed” him?
Pretty sure this is old news...and a waste of everyone’s time.
Actually Burchett said McCarthy elbowed him in his kidney area of his back as he was doing an on air interview with CNN. I just saw him speaking on a CNN news clip, with someone else from CNN, on Bannon's war room podcast.
He turned around and saw him.
Not sure what day it may be in your world, but it's Tuesday in mine. 😋
If nothing else, it’s good to see the passion
McCarthy has a detail while walking around the corridors of the House? What a Clown show. I'm waiting patiently for the dueling pistols to come out.
If you were in a supermarket aisle and you got elbowed in the back just as another shopper passed you I don’t think that it would be presumptuous to guess who did it.
It's from today, the new Speaker had a conference at 8am. I'm guessing McCarthy was hungover.
Workplace violence...I’d be fired.....
Yup...sorry...but there was another similar incident...
We never hear about Democrats doing things like this. Maybe that’s why they keep winning elections.
Ousting McCarthy may be the only success this House has.
You are factually incorrect. Why are you running interference for McCarthy?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.