“Elect Clowns, Expect a Circus”: Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Denies Elbowing Rep. Tim Burchett

Michelle HollandNov 27, 2023

Minute Read

The last few weeks have been some of the most tense in recent history for House Republicans, who have been working on the annual budget. One recent episode of such tensions saw former speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) allegedly elbow Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) in a “clean shot to the kidneys.”

Avoiding a Federal Shutdown

Last week, a continuing resolution was passed with the help of House Democrats, avoiding a dreaded government shutdown over the holidays. With funding due to run out in January, however, the pressure continues to mount. Republicans are divided over the content of the budget, with some pushing for more extreme spending cuts that are unlikely to be approved by the Democratic-majority Senate.

“Pressure Cooker” Environment

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Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) described the atmosphere within the House as a “pressure cooker” due to fraught efforts to agree on legislation. After McCarthy was ousted for using a stopgap bill to fund the government in September, Johnson inherited a difficult situation after replacing him.

Divisions in the Republican Party

House Republicans are currently divided between far-right and more moderate-right agendas. Many experts slammed McCarthy’s removal as an effort to move the party further right, which increasingly appears to be the case as there has been no movement to expel Johnson. Five of the eight Republicans who voted to vacate McCarthy are in the House Freedom Caucus, the most right-wing alliance in the House.

History Repeats Itself In the House

Johnson has far-right Christian Nationalist views and is known for his desire to see homosexuality criminalized and abortion completely banned. House Republicans are not looking to expel him even though he relied on Democratic support to pass a continuing resolution — the very move that led to McCarthy’s ousting.

Emotions Erupt In Fiery Exchange

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It was reported that during one particularly tense House session, Burchett accused McCarthy of elbowing him in a rammed hallway. McCarthy denied this, but not without exchanging some heated words with Burchett.

Burchett Confronts McCarthy

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Though there was no footage of the incident, it was reported that Burchett confronted McCarthy, asking: “Hey Kevin, why did you walk behind me and elbow me in the back?” before adding, “You have no guts.” McCarthy protested: “I didn’t do that,” as Burchett continued to insult the former speaker.

Burchett and McCarthy’s History

Burchett was one of the eight Republicans to vote for McCarthy’s removal. Since Republicans hold the majority in the House, McCarthy would’ve held on to power had his own party not turned against him and called for his expulsion.

Slamming the Former Speaker

Instead of handling the situation maturely, Burchett went on to call McCarthy “pathetic” and a “bully with $17 million and a security detail.” He alleged that he got “elbowed in the back and it kind of caught me off guard cause it was a clean shot to the kidneys.”

Filing an Ethics Complaint

McCarthy maintained that he had not assaulted Burchett, declaring: “I would not elbow. I would not hit him in the kidney.” Despite this, Rep. Matt Gaetz, who introduced the resolution to oust the former speaker, filed a formal ethics complaint against McCarthy. These complaints are investigated by the House Ethics Committee.

An Escalation Occurs

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Following the tumultuous encounter, a chase was said to have ensued between Burchett and McCarthy through the corridors of the House.

More Struggles To Come

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Though Congress is currently on a break for Thanksgiving, lawmakers have a tough couple of months ahead when they come back from their much-needed vacation. House Reps. will continue to negotiate the budget that they failed to sort out during the unprecedented ten-week session that saw McCarthy’s removal and Johnson’s election.

“Peak Republican Insanity”

Many people online expressed content for the state of the Republican Party and the immaturity and bad behavior of its members. “Until someone is beaten to near death with a cane, we have not reached peak Republican insanity,” one forum user joked.

United By Their Bigotry

Others decried the GOP’s ability to be divided over petty squabbles but united by its hatred for minority groups. One commenter wrote: “All it would take is for someone to yell, “Hey! Look over there! It’s a mixed-race couple and their trans daughter” and all their differences will be forgotten as the hate takes over.”

Destroying the Party from the Inside

Many users relished what they perceived to be a party destroying itself from the inside. “I am definitely getting some “Lord of the Flies” vibes from these fools,” one person said. “Maybe they can hurt each other instead of everyone else for a change,” another wondered, whereas someone else stated, “Republicans do eat their own.”

Something Worth Fighting For

One poster wondered whether Burchett and McCarthy’s energy could be better spent fighting for more worthy causes. “Too bad they don’t fight like this for our democracy!” they exclaimed, referring to the pair’s complicity in Trump’s attempts to overthrow democratic institutions.

Encouraging Duels

Several forum members were entertained by the antics, with one declaring, “Let the chimps duke it out,” and another suggesting: “Maybe we should bring back duels.” Another contributor was resigned to the violence unfolding, and simply wrote: “Elect clowns, expect a circus.”

Requesting Security Cameras

Since there was no footage of the incident — and thus no indisputable proof confirming what happened — one critic proposed that cameras would need to be installed due to the risk of further altercations. “The hallowed halls of Congress now need hall monitors… thanks GOP,” they shared.

Predicting Future Fights

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Some people speculated over which feuding Republican duo would be the next to get violent. “I honestly had my money on Greene and Boebert being the first to have a physical altercation in this Congress,” one user admitted, referring to far-right rivals Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO). “They will take that up after they get booted from Congress,” someone else theorized.