With a little over a month until Republicans take control of the United States House of Representatives, MSNBC’s Alex Witt started panicking during a segment of her Saturday show Alex Witt Reports that the Biden Administration will be held accountable for the border crisis that’s been unfolding for the past two years. Witt especially lost it when Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy promised to investigate Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and possibly impeach him if he doesn’t resign.
After airing his statement on the incoming House Republican majorities’ plans for Mayorkas, Witt went to Democrat Congressman Mike Quigley for his reaction: “His threats of investigations, if the secretary doesn’t resign. Is this what we can expect if Kevin McCarthy becomes Speaker of the House? Leadership by bullying? Is this an inappropriate tone or approach to address issues with immigration?”
It’s amazing how investigations and impeachments are always good and noble when Democrats are conducting them, but the second Republicans come to power and turn the process around on them, it becomes “leadership by bullying” or an abuse of power.
Someone should ask Witt if the never ending January 6 committee investigations were “leadership by bullying.”
Quigley speculated that McCarthy is promising to investigate Mayorkas because he’s “gonna be in a tight race for Speaker within his own party, to get to that threshold number. He is attempting to appease them on an early stage.”
He went on to whine that Republicans “jumping to impeachment, it goes beyond bullying. It is well beyond constitutional purview and I think it is what we should expect.”
“Hmmm. That’s unfortunate,” Witt sneered.
Later on in the segment, Witt aired what she described as “another threat of Kevin McCarthy.” This time it was McCarthy promising to strip the congenital liar Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell, who reportedly has connections to a Chinese spy, and noted anti-semite Ilhan Omar, of their committee assignments:
Eric Swalwell cannot get a security clearance in the public sector. Why would we ever give him a security clearance in the secrets to America? I will not allow him to be on Intel. You have Adam Schiff who had lied to the American public time and again, we will not allow him to be on the Intel committee either. Look, Congresswoman Omar, her antisemitic comments that have gone forward. We are not going to allow her to be on Foreign Affairs.
“I’m sorry, I will not allow him? What is your response to this?” Witt wailed. “
“Is there anything Democrats can do to stop this from happening or would it take Republicans putting pressure on McCarthy to quit with the threats and is there any chance that will happen? Witt desperately asked Quigley.
Quigley admitted “there’s a small chance” that McCarthy could be stopped and claimed “there’s a handful of Republicans that can see this for what it is.”
This hypocritical segment was made possible by Subway. Their information is linked.
The relevant transcript is below. Click “expand” to read:
MSNBC’s Alex Witt Reports
11/26/2022
12:19:59 p.m. EasternALEX WITT: Your reaction to Kevin McCarthy? I mean his threats of investigations, if the secretary doesn’t resign. Is this what we can expect if Kevin McCarthy becomes Speaker of the House? Leadership by bullying? Is this an inappropriate tone or approach to address issues with immigration?
REP. MIKE QUIGLEY: You know I think we have heard about this for coming months and it sounds like McCarthy preaching to the faithful. He knows he’s gonna be in a tight race for Speaker within his own party, to get to that threshold number. He is attempting to appease them on an early stage. You know we impeach for people, Presidents who incite violent insurrections and attempted coups. But we impeach Presidents who attempt to extort our allies like Ukraine. We don't impeach for policy disagreements.
There is an oversight function which is all together, fitting & appropriate. And if you don't like what the secretary is doing, you can talk about that. You can introduce legislation to address it. Jumping to impeachment, it goes beyond bullying. It is well beyond constitutional purview and I think it is what we should expect.
WITT: Hmmm. That’s unfortunate.
[...]
WITT: Well let's take a listen to another threat of Kevin McCarthy. He made it last weekend and then targeted some of your colleagues on the Intelligence Committee. Here it is.
[cuts to video]
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY: Eric Swalwell cannot get a security clearance in the public sector. Why would we ever give him a security clearance in the secrets to America? I will not allow him to be on Intel. You have Adam Schiff who had lied to the American public time and again, we will not allow him to be on the Intel committee either. Look, Congresswoman Omar, her antisemitic comments that have gone forward. We are not going to allow her to be on Foreign Affairs.
[cuts back to live]
WITT: I’m sorry, I will not allow him? What is your response to this? Is there anything Democrats can do to stop this from happening or would it take Republicans putting pressure on McCarthy to quit with the threats and is there any chance that will happen?
QUIGLEY: You know, there’s a small chance and I think there’s a handful of Republicans that can see this for what it is. The fact of the matter is, I served with -- Congressman Schiff and Eric Swalwell for almost eight years now on those committees. And again, McCarthy is letting policy disagreements get way ahead of the game here.
[...]
