Group’s billboards call out McCarthy

Republican movement’s signs say congressman must ‘stop lying’ about riot

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy drew little fire from his Republican colleagues since audio recordings revealed that he held then-President Donald Trump accountable for the Capitol riot, but new billboards erected in McCarthy’s district are sending the California Republican a different message from within his own party.

On Wednesday, McCarthy got a standing ovation after defending himself in a meeting with House Republicans, The Washington Post reported.

However, the billboards say, “WE’VE HEARD THE TAPES, KEVIN,” and “Stop lying about January 6th.”

The billboards were paid for by the Republican Accountability Project, a conservative group critical of members of the GOP who have supported Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was rigged.

“We’re just trying to at least inform the people that vote for him that he lies and continues to lie,” Barry Rubin, a spokesman for the group, said of McCarthy. “When he goes back home, there are going to be some people that question him about it.”

McCarthy’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Wednesday.

Placed at six locations around Bakersfield, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles, the billboards will stay up for at least two weeks, Rubin said. “Most people aren’t aware of what’s going on in politics,” he said, adding that he hoped the billboards would prompt some scrutiny of McCarthy. He could not immediately provide The Washington Post with the total cost.

Last week, the New York Times published audio recordings of a Jan. 10, 2021, call among House Republican leaders in which McCarthy said he planned to urge Trump to resign. The audio contradicted his claim denying that he had wanted Trump to step down. On Tuesday, the Times published another portion of the call in which McCarthy discussed plans to rein in GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Mo Brooks of Alabama over their comments following the insurrection.

McCarthy did not follow through on the plans, instead continuing to support Trump.

After the audio leak, Trump told the Wall Street Journal that McCarthy’s loyalty was a “big compliment,” adding that he and McCarthy are still on good terms. Taking Trump’s lead, House Republicans also continued to support McCarthy, accepting his argument that he had merely discussed “scenarios” on the call. They signaled that they would support his bid for speaker if Republicans win the House in November, The Post reported.

But the Republican Accountability Project said the audio clips proved McCarthy was “lying to the public.” And whether McCarthy keeps his job is not up to his GOP colleagues, Rubin said.

“At the end of the day, it is the people who decide.”

“We’re just trying to at least inform the people that vote for him that he lies and continues to lie. When he goes back home, there are going to be some people that question him about it.”

— Barry Rubin, a spokesman for the Republican Accountability Project