During an interview on MSNBC’s “All In with Chris Hayes” on Friday, Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries said he expects House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to “bend the knee” to former President Trump over the GOP members of a House select committee that will investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Jeffries made the comment while discussing who he thinks the GOP leader will select to serve on the committee after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced that House Democrats would soon establish a special congressional committee to investigate the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“It wouldn’t shock me if he chose Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert. He’s got a collection of characters to choose from,” Jeffries told host Chris Hayes, referencing three of Trump’s staunchest backers.
“It’s not my expectation given Kevin McCarthy’s past practice that he will do anything other than bend the knee to Donald Trump,” he added.
Earlier in the day, McCarthy sidestepped a question about if he would not appoint lawmakers who have downplayed the events of Jan. 6 or reiterated claims of voter fraud to serve on the panel.
“She’s never talked to me about it. I haven’t seen the structure — of what she does or anything else. So, I won’t make any commitments until we go there,” McCarthy said.
The formation of the commission comes after a vote to establish a bipartisan commission to investigate the attack on the Capitol was unsuccessful. Only 35 Republicans supported House-backed legislation, which Senate Republicans later blocked.
Jeffries said that he expects Trump to “issue recommendations” about who should serve on the committee, given the fact that he was the main inciter of the insurrection.
“We can probably expect that Donald Trump over the next few days will issue recommendations as to who he thinks should be on this committee, and Kevin McCarthy will follow those recommendations hook, line and sinker,” the New York Democrat said.
Watch the interview below from MSNBC.
