amna: New audio reveals that
house Republican leader Kevin
Mccarthy told Republican
colleagues he would urge
president trump to resign, in
the days following the January 6
attacks on the capitol.
To sort through this, I'm joined
by our capitol hill reporter
Lisa Desjardins.
Good to see you.
The audio we are talking about
is a private conversation
uncovered by two New York Times
reporters.
It is a conversation between
Kevin Mccarthy and Liz Cheney.
Let's have a listen.
>> I am here, thank you.
Are you hearing he might resign?
Any reason to think that might
happen?
>> My gut tells me no.
I am seriously thinking about
having that conversation with
him tonight, I have not talked
to him in a couple of days.
From what I know of him, and you
know him, do you think he would
back away?
What I think I'm going to do is
call him.
The only discussion I would have
with him is I think this will
pass and it would be my
recommendation to resign.
That would be my take but I
don't think he will take it, but
I don't know.
Amna: You've been talking with
Republican forces -- sources,
including lawmakers.
What are they telling you?
Lisa: This is the opposite of
what Kevin Mccarthy's own
spokesperson said yesterday,
that he never said he would ask
president trump resign.
There are a couple of players to
this, the first is the
political.
Talking to sources today, I
don't think there will be a
political problem for Kevin
Mccarthy because of this within
his own party.
Why?
President trump.
Republican sources are waiting
to see what the former president
will do and I can report he and
Kevin Mccarthy spoke at least
twice yesterday and the readout
from that reported by others is
president trump is ok with what
he heard.
Somehow Kevin Mccarthy was able
to convince them he is still on
board with him.
We don't know if Kevin Mccarthy
ever ask him to resign or if you
just told that to Republican
leadership your -- leadership
there.
Kevin Mccarthy is also the top
fundraiser ever in the house
Republican ranks.
That helps them politically.
I want to talk about what this
reveals and what it means on a
more pervasive level.
It shows what was going on
behind the scenes.
Kevin Mccarthy on January 13
went to the house floor and said
president trump was responsible.
Just a couple weeks later, he
went to mar-a-lago to talk to
president trump.
There was this moment where
Republican leaders were
wondering and talking about
maybe pushing president trump
out of leadership for good and
it passed.
This is what we are learning
from this.
This also tells us something
about Republicans and the fact
that president trump really is
still driving the train and
deciding the future of even
potential speakers of the house
like Kevin Mccarthy.
Amna: We should note, this is in
the days after January 6, the
conversation unfolded, and we
have been seeing many more
details about January 6 and
other reports.
Those have included some texts
from lawmakers, like Republican
senator Mike Lee.
What should we know?
Lisa: Senator Lee's office have
not said these are incorrect.
I want to read a couple of them.
He says he was looking for
rationale and evidence, but one
of the texts, he wrote, I know
this will end badly for the
president unless we have a
constitution on our side and
unless states submit new trump
electors.
He wrote to the chief of staff,
I've been calling state
legislatures for hours today,
will spend hours more, I'm
trying to figure out a path I
can persuasively defend even if
they can't convene, it might be
for enough of a majority of
state legislators to sign a
statement indicating how they
would vote.
That idea is about having
separate slates of electors that
might run counter to what the
popular vote was in the states
at the time he ultimately
senator Lee did not vote against
the insurrection, he backed
This is different from wealthy
-- from what we heard in the
public, and it shows that
president trump, there were also
others part of this idea of
election fraud, looking
everywhere they could even
though there was no evidence
behind the scenes.
The push was happening for many
political reasons, and senator
Mike Lee was walking both sides.
Amna: Very different messages in
private versus public.
Such an important story.
Lisa, thank you.
In related January 6 news,
facing a challenge to her
candidacy for re-election,
Georgia Republican congresswoman
Marjorie Taylor Greene took the
stand today in an Atlanta
courtroom to say she did not
participate in the insurrection.
She says voters should decide
whether she gets a second term,
not the courts.
The outcome could be felt beyond
Georgia, since other Republican
officials face similar
challenges.
Geoff Bennett has our report.
Geoff: A crucial test for the
controversial congresswoman.
>> I am just asking questions.
>> I am just answering.
Geoff: Marjorie Taylor Greene,
the first lawmaker to testify
under oath about the January 6
attack on the U.S. Capitol.
>> I was asking people to come
for a peaceful March, which is
what everyone is entitled to do
under their first amendment, but
I was not asking them to
actively engage in violence or
any type of action.
Geoff: Denying any involvement
in defending her right to be on
the ballot next month's Georgia
primary election.
>> Now they are coming after me
to remove my name from the valid
-- the ballot.
Geoff: The legal challenge was
filed last month.
They say Marjorie Taylor Greene
should not be allowed to run for
reelection, and they are relying
on a clause to the 14th
amendment, saying no person
shall be a senator or
representative in congress who
having previously taken an oath
as a member of congress shall
have engaged in insurrection or
rebellion, or given aid or
comfort to the enemies thereof.
>> Don't mess with her.
Geoff: They argue Greene did
exactly that in the lead up to
the generate six attack by
knowingly repeating the lie that
the 2020 election was stolen.
>> We are going to fight for
president trump on January 6.
Geoff: In urging her supporters
to fight for Donald Trump.
They pointed to comments like
this that Greene made the night
before the insurrection.
>> This is our 1776 moments.
>> Help facilitate violent
resistance to our own government
, our democracy and
constitution.
>> We are going to send our
favorite president back where he
belongs, in the white house.
Geoff: Greene remains a fierce
defender of the former
president.
And even though she objected to
the vote certification in
congress on January 6 --
>> What is happening to these
people being held in custody is
wrong.
Geoff: And later criticized the
conditions of the D.C. Jail what
where several rioters were being
held, she said the people that
broke into the capital are
solely to blame.
>> Breaking the law is unlawful.
There has been over 700 people
charged.
>> We will fight even harder
because this nation is worth
saving.
Geoff: A similar chain --
challenge to North Carolina
Republican Madison Cawthorn was
blocked last month, but in a 73
page ruling earlier this month,
a different judge in Georgia
cleared the way for today's
hearing.
With Greene on the stand today,
the clock ticking for a ruling.
>> It is highly unlikely she
will be removed from the ballot.
Geoff: Amy is a professor of
political science at Georgia
state university.
She says Greene is likely to
>> This is an administrative law
judge hearing the evidence and
will make a determination and
recommendation to the secretary
of state, who is also facing his
own reelection and a very strong
primary challenge, and to be
perfectly blunt, needs many of
the same voters who would
potentially be voting for
representative Greene in her
election to also support him so
he can continue to be secretary
of state.
Geoff: Election officials in
Georgia can begin mailing
absentee ballots on Monday.
I'm geoff Bennett.