This article has been updated.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell rebuked the Republican National Committee for censuring ‘Never Trump’ lawmakers Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney for taking part in the Democrats’ January 6 committee, and insisted the Capitol riot was a “violent insurrection.”
Cheney (R-WY) and Kinzinger (R-IL) were formally censured by the RNC last week for taking part in the Democrats’ select committee investigating January 6.
The censure notes that the pair defied Republican efforts to take part in a balanced panel by accepting Nancy Pelosi’s invitation to serve after she had rejected House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s own choices.
It states that the two lawmakers were “participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.”
They are serving on the J6 committee AT THE REQUEST OF PELOSI. They aren’t representing the GOP, they are actively working against them. Of course the party will choose not to bunk up with people who want to shiv them. More from me ?https://t.co/fJc07x1IRz
— Rachel Bovard (@rachelbovard) February 8, 2022
RELATED: Mitch McConnell At Odds With Trump: Opposes Pardons For January 6 Rioters
McConnell Opposes Censure Of Kinzinger, Cheney
McConnell maintained during a Senate GOP press conference that the RNC overstepped its authority in rebuking Cheney and Kinzinger.
“The issue is whether or not the RNC should be singling out members of our party who may have different views from the majority,” he said. “That’s not the job of the RNC.”
“Traditionally, the view of the national party committee is that we support all members of our party, regardless of their positions on some issues,” McConnell added.
“Traditionally, the view of the national party committee is that we support all members of our party, regardless of their positions on some issues,” @LeaderMcConnell said.
He said it’s not the job of the @RNC to single out individuals.https://t.co/3bmLDMYIvL
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) February 8, 2022
No, Mitch, it is not the job of the RNC to support members of the party when the members in question are supporting Democrat causes rather than promoting Republican platforms.
Cheney and Kinzinger singled themselves out when they chose to abandon their jobs and instead live out the rest of their days dancing like marionettes for the Democrat Party.
Mitch #McConnell breaks with the #RNC on its censure of #Cheney & #Kinzinger, stressing it’s “not the job of the RNC” to single out members of the party who have views different from the majority.
He also calls Jan. 6 “a violent insurrection.”
— Allawi Ssemanda, PhD. (@AllawiSsemanda) February 9, 2022
RELATED: Report: Trump Wants To Oust Mitch McConnell, Republicans Not Cooperating
McConnell Calls January 6 A ‘Violent Insurrection’
McConnell, speaking to reporters after the Senate GOP caucus lunch, expanded upon his reasoning for objecting to the censure and suggested the Democrats’ select committee is a worthy endeavor.
“Let me give him my view of what happened January the 6th, and we all were here. We saw what happened,” he told reporters.
“It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election,” added McConnell.
McConnell calls Jan. 6 a “violent insurrection” and says the RNC shouldn’t have censured Cheney and Kinzinger pic.twitter.com/wcE1EQRH9y
— Jan Wolfe (@JanNWolfe) February 8, 2022
Perhaps Kinzinger can share one of his handkerchiefs embroidered with the letters A-O-C and the pair can share a good hearty cry over their recollections from that day.
McConnell recently announced his opposition to Trump’s pledge to possibly pardon some individuals who have been arrested for the January 6 ‘insurrection’ at the Capitol.
REPORTER: How concerned are you about the former president offering pardons to people who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6…?
MCCONNELL: …I would not be in favor of shortening any of the sentences for any of the people who pleaded guilty to crimes. pic.twitter.com/QBhajP50LV
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) February 1, 2022
“One hundred and sixty-five people have pleaded guilty to criminal behavior,” McConnell said. “None of the trials have been finished yet, but 165 have pleaded guilty to criminal behavior.”
“My view is, I would not be in favor of shortening any of the sentences for any of the people who pleaded guilty to crimes.”
Trump vowed during a rally last month that if he runs and wins in 2024, he “will treat those people from January 6 fairly” and “if that requires pardons, we will give them pardons.”
Update: Trump responded to McConnell’s comments, saying that the Senate Minority Leader does not speak for the party:
New statement from Donald Trump: “Mitch McConnell does not speak for the Republican Party, and does not represent the views of the vast majority of its voters. He did nothing to fight for his constituents and stop the most fraudulent election in American history”
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) February 9, 2022
