A pulse has been detected in the Congressional Republican party. It may not have been the most professional way to demonstrate it, but at this point, any sign of life is promising.
Following a closed-door meeting of the GOP’s House caucus, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) was being interviewed by Claudia Grisales, a National Public Radio (NPR) correspondent. Grisales later stated that as Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) passed behind Burchett, she witnessed him forcefully elbow Burchett, causing him to lurch forward toward her.
In case you’ve forgotten, Burchett was one of the eight Republicans who successfully voted to vacate McCarthy from the speaker’s office last month. An embarrassment for sure, since McCarthy had the misfortune of being the first Speaker of the House to be removed from office in American history, and his 269-day tenure was the shortest in 140 years.
Related: Promises Not Kept: GOP Reps. Explain Votes to Remove McCarthy
After the “shove,” according to Grisales, Burchett chased after McCarthy, asking, “Why’d you elbow me in the back, Kevin? Hey, Kevin, you got any guts?”
McCarthy, of course, denied that he had elbowed Burchett.
Here is the way Grisales described the confrontation in a series of postings on Twitter/X:
Have NEVER seen this on Capitol Hill:
— Claudia Grisales (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
While talking to @RepTimBurchett after the GOP conference meeting, former @SpeakerMcCarthy walked by with his detail and McCarthy shoved Burchett. Burchett lunged towards me. I thought it was a joke, it was not. And a chase ensued...
Burchett's back was to McCarthy and his detail walking by in the hallway, then the lunge.
— Claudia Grisales (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
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!?"
Burchett then looked back at me and said, "jerk" referring to McCarthy. I asked if he had done that before, Burchett said "no."
— Claudia Grisales (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
That's when the chase ensued. Burchett took off after McCarthy and his detail. I chased behind with my mic.
@RepTimBurchett yelled after catching up to McCarthy, "Hey Kevin, why'd you walk behind me and elbow me in the back?"
— Claudia Grisales (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
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..."
Burchett tells me that's the first point of "communication" with McCarthy since Burchett voted for McCarthy's ouster as speaker last month:
— Claudia Grisales (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
"That's just it" for communication since ouster vote, "He's just a jerk. He's just a childish little..."
Burchett adds, "did you just see that?" he asks in disbelief. I'm stunned, too.
— Claudia Grisales (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
Says he won't follow up with McCarthy on what happened, "he's on a downhill spiral... he just, that was pretty gutless of him. I'm disappointed in his, in him."
Burchett reiterates he hasn't talked to McCarthy since he voted against him.
— Claudia Grisales (@cgrisales) November 14, 2023
"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."
After regrouping, here is the way Burchett described the incident to CNN’s Manu Raju:
“Well, I was doing an interview with Claudia from NPR, a lovely lady, and she was asking me a question. And at that time, I got elbowed in the back, and it kind of caught me off guard because it was a clean shot to the kidneys. And I turned back, and there was Kevin.”
Burchett took a shot at McCarthy, describing him as “a bully with $17 million and a security detail" (probably a reference to McCarthy's control over campaign fundraising accounts). He called him "the type of guy that, when you’re a kid, would throw a rock over the fence and run home and hide behind his mama’s skirt.” He said that such behavior is “not the way we handle things in east Tennessee.” Burchett told Raju that when he caught up to McCarthy, “It was a little heated, but I just backed off. He kept scurrying, trying to keep people between me and him.”
I’m not saying that I agree with physical aggression, but as a conservative, it’s nice to see blood actually pumping through the veins of Republicans in the House. The referee may throw a flag and call un-Congressman-like conduct, but if it wakes up the team, I’ll give it a pass.
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