Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) blasted Republican leader, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for staying silent in the wake of Donald Trump's recent brunch with a Holocaust-denying white supremacist and pro-Hitler rapper Kanye West.
"After nearly a week since it happened, @GOPLeader McCarthy will not condemn Trump for dining with a Jew-hating Holocaust denier," tweeted Swalwell on Sunday. We gave you a chance, Kevin. So from here on out you’re to be called #KKKevinMcCarthy Twitter, do your thing."
He was followed by those who couldn't help but note the discrepancy between McCarthy's anger at Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who made a disparaging comment and was immediately brought into the caucus to speak with Jewish leaders. She later tweeted that she was educated on how her comments were offensive and harmful. In the case of Omar, the Democratic caucus condemned her. That hasn't been the case with the GOP caucus.
Meanwhile, Trump, welcomed the antisemites into his home. After the fact, he pretended that he had no idea who they were. West has since disputed the account, saying that during their meeting Trump raved about Nick Fuentes, even going so far as to say, "he gets me." An ally of West's then blasted the former president, saying that it's clear 'Trump World' is in trouble.
Earlier in the week, Swalwell noted that the main reason McCarthy can't denounce Trump is if he did he would have to denounce Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who spoke at an event organized by Fuentes in Feb. 2022. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was more than happy to denounce Greene at the time.
Speaking about the issue with MSNBC on Sunday, former Watergate assistant special counsel, Jill Wine-Banks said that all of the talk about Fuentes is losing the piece of the story that Trump may pretend like he doesn't know him, but he knows Kanye and knows his anti-semitism.
"In the context of a Republican primary, Donald Trump seems to get away with everything. I think it is despicable that he had the dinner. But I think it is just as bad that we are only talking about, his dinner with Nick Fuentes. He also had dinner with Ye, who is an antisemite," she said. "Who has lost all of his business dealings because of it. If corporations can stand up to the former Kanye West, then why can't the president of the United States? Why is he consoling him on his business loss? Why is he letting him come to Mar-a-Lago to have dinner? It is because, as Rep. Lee just said, that is who he is. And that is what the Republican base that supports him has allowed. And no Republican leader has spoken out about — I shouldn't say none. There have been a few who have said it was bad judgment, and I would say that it is more than bad judgment. It is bad policy."
Substitute host Sam Stein agreed about Republicans giving Trump a pass for meeting with the artist formally known as Kanye. When it comes to McCarthy, however, Stein said that in one breath, he's attacking Omar while in another he's letting Republicans get away with palling around with Nazis and refusing to condemn it.
"Is it tenable that he can be condemning Ilhan Omar in one breath and not saying anything in another? I mean, how long can he go on without saying anything here?" asked Stein.
"As long as it takes for the counting of the 218 votes in the next Congress," quipped MSNBC Daily columnist and editor Hayes Brown. "I mean, the thing with Kevin McCarthy is that he is between a rock and a hard place. He is between 218 votes for speaker and the Freedom Caucus saying, he is not gonna be hard enough on Joe Biden. So he is trying to bridge that gap in any way that he can."
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