House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., sidestepped Tuesday when pressed on whether a renegade Republican lawmaker will face internal party retribution after he called for President Trump’s impeachment.
“People get elected by going back and talking to their constituents, of how they vote on the floor, a reflection of their own district. I think when it comes to actions, I think the constituents will have the final say,” McCarthy told reporters.
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Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., on Saturday became the first GOP member of Congress to push for Trump’s impeachment by obstructing justice during special counsel Robert Mueller’s federal Russia investigation. Amash, a self-identified libertarian, has been openly considering mounting a challenge against the president in 2020 as a candidate for the Libertarian Party. Since Amash’s comments, made in a string of tweets, a pro-Trump primary contender, state Rep. Jim Lower, has emerged with the intent of unseating him in Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District.
McCarthy, who in a Fox News interview this week said Amash was “looking for attention” with his “disturbing” remarks, also did not say whether the Michigan Republican should leave the GOP.
“Justin is one person with one opinion. It’s out of step with this conference, it’s out of step with America,” McCarthy said Tuesday. “If you watch, even for those who are on the other side of the aisle as they campaign for their nomination for president and they go to different states, it doesn’t come up. What comes up are the concerns with infrastructure, the price of prescription drugs, the debt, those are the issues that Americans are concerned about.”
Amash this week, in response to McCarthy’s criticism, described the leader as a liar.
“I think everyone knows he’s lying. That’s typical Kevin,” he said.
[Opinion: Let Amash be Amash]
