Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday called last year’s attack on the Capitol a “violent insurrection,” and pushed back on the Republican National Committee’s censure of Republicans on the House Jan. 6 committee.
The Kentucky Republican said the RNC should not be in the position of “picking and choosing Republicans who ought to be supported.”
“Traditionally the view of the national party committees is that we support all members of our party, regardless of their positions on some issues,” he told reporters Tuesday.
The RNC voted last week to formally censure Republican Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois over their participation in the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Ms. Cheney and Mr. Kinzinger have been outspoken critics of former President Donald Trump and his unsubstantiated claims of a stolen election.
The resolution said Ms. Cheney and Mr. Kinzinger were participating in “persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.”
Mr. McConnell pushed back on the characterization of the attack on the Capitol as “legitimate political discourse.”
“We saw what happened,” he said. “It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent a peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election from one administration to the next. That’s what it was.”
Last week’s censure caused an uproar in the GOP, a large contingent of which remains loyal to Mr. Trump.
Sen. Mitt Romney, Utah Republican, defended Ms. Cheney and Mr. Kinzinger for “seeking truth even when doing so comes at great cost.”
“Shame falls on a party that would censure persons of conscience, who seek truth in the face of vitriol,” he said on Twitter.
Ms. Cheney and Mr. Kinzinger were among 10 Republicans in the House who voted to impeach Mr. Trump for inciting the attack on the Capitol.
Both lawmakers have faced significant blowback from their pro-Trump colleagues for their role on the House committee investigating the attack.
Ms. Cheney was ousted as chair of the House Republican Conference, and the Wyoming GOP voted to expel her from the party.
Tuesday’s comments mark a deeper divide between Mr. McConnell and the faction of the GOP supporting Mr. Trump.
Last week, Mr. McConnell distanced himself from Mr. Trump’s proposal of potential pardons for those charged in connection with the attack.
• Seth McLaughlin contributed to this story.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.