Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has been accused of shoving a Republican congressman who helped oust him as House speaker.
In an on-camera interview from the Capitol Hill outdoor steps after the alleged incident, Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., alleged McCarthy came up and took a “cheap shot from behind.”
“You don’t expect that sort of thing from an adult, certainly not one who was once third in line for the White House,” Burchett said.
Burchett told reporters that McCarthy’s actions seemed “deliberate.”
“I’ll take a polygraph test. And have Kevin take a polygraph test,” he said. “It was deliberate. It was just a cheap shot by a bully.”
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Burchett said he didn’t plan on taking further action against McCarthy, including any House ethics complaint, adding of the former House Speaker, “He’s going to be out by Christmas.”
The alleged physical altercation occurred when Burchett was being interviewed by NPR correspondent Claudia Grisales, who recounted the ordeal in a thread on X.
Fox News has reached out to McCarthy’s office for comment.
As Burchett was standing in the hallway of Capitol Hill doing an interview with Grisales, the congressman recalled how “Kevin McCarthy walked by, and he elbowed me in the kidneys.”
“There’s 435 congressmen. I was one of the eight that voted against him. That hallway, there’s plenty of room. You can walk forward side by side, he chose to do what he did,” Burchett said. “I feel sorry for him, and I pray for him every day. You might not believe that, but I do, and I hope he finds some happiness in his life.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Fox News’ Brianna O’Neil and Kelly Phares contributed to this report.
