Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said on Friday that America should not take to the streets if former President Donald Trump is indicted for his role in the hush money scheme for adult movie stars.
“I don’t think people should protest this, no,” McCarthy said in response to reporters’ questions at the start of the Republicans’ annual retreat in Orlando, Florida. “We want tranquility outside.”
McCarthy made the comments a day after Trump predicted he would be arrested as part of a long-running investigation by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg. Bragg has signaled in the coming days that his office may file charges against Trump, a historic moment and the first time a former president will be indicted on criminal charges.
Trump on Saturday called on his supporters to protest and “TAKE BACK OUR NATION,” which some critics said was a return to rhetoric before the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
The House speaker, a defender of the former president, appeared to reject the claim on Sunday, saying Trump’s call to protest was not a call for protest.
“I think President Trump, when you talk to him, doesn’t believe it either,” McCarthy said. “He didn’t speak in a dangerous way, and no one should.”
“The last thing we want … people put their thumb on the scale just because they don’t agree with other people is a political view,” McCarthy added. “That’s what’s wrong, and that’s what makes people angry.
The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman reported on Sunday that Trump is “very anxious” ahead of the possibility of indictment. He reported last week that his campaign was preparing to attack Bragg and that prosecutors in his office should be filed.