Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger is accusing former Speaker Kevin McCarthy of “shoulder-checking” him not once but twice in the Capitol, supporting similar claims made by Rep. Tim Burchett, that McCarthy elbowed him in the hallway. The accusations have come to light in Kinzinger’s book “Renegade,” where he delves into his relationship with McCarthy. Kinzinger discussed these incidents again in an interview with CNN, where he described McCarthy’s action as a deliberate assault and emphasized the former Speaker’s childish behavior.
Burchett, one out of eight GOP members who voted to oust McCarthy from the speakership last month, had a similar altercation with McCarthy. He alleged that McCarthy elbowed him in a Capitol hallway then later denied intentionally hitting him, much to Burchett’s displeasure. Then Rep. Matt Gaetz, an opponent to McCarthy, filed a complaint against him with the House Ethics Committee regarding the incident, prompting McCarthy to sarcastically quip that he believes Ethics is where Gaetz should be. These series of accusations and conflicts between Republican members and the former Speaker brings to light a growing divide and inner turmoil within the Republican party.
