President Trump on Monday privately – and falsely – blamed ‘Antifa people’ for storming the Capitol, although there is clear video and documentary evidence that the rioters were overwhelmingly Trump supporters.
Why it matters: Despite the fact that an accusation is being voted for an assault he is helping to incite, the outgoing president is still clinging to his tried and tested playbook of deviance and conspiracy.
Behind the scenes: Trump trotted out the Antifa line this morning in a tense, 30-minute plus call with House minority leader Kevin McCarthy.
- McCarthy wanted nothing to do with it and told the president: ‘This is not Antifa, this is MAGA. I know. I was there, ” according to a White House official and another source familiar with the call.
- The White House official said the call was sometimes tense and aggressive, with Trump chanting about election fraud and an outraged McCarthy saying, ‘Stop it. It’s over. The election is over. ‘
McCarthy, who faces a major setback before his role to encourage disagreement over the election result went further:
- He told Trump to call Joe Biden, meet the president-elect and follow tradition, leaving a welcome letter in the Resolute Desk for his successor.
- The president told him he had not decided to do it for Biden.
A White House spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Go deeper: McCarthy: ‘Undisputed’ no evidence that Antifa participated in the deadly siege of the Capitol