Kevin McCarthy was finally elected House speaker early on Saturday morning. Yet as Fox News reported, the California Republican’s assent was met with some serious allegations.
In an inflammatory tweet, Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar asserted that McCarthy had been installed in office by “far right insurrectionists.”
Omar says Republicans will hold America “hostage”
“McCarthy just agreed to a deal with far-right insurrectionists that would hold the entire US and global economy hostage to extreme cuts to everything from housing to education, healthcare, Social Security and Medicare,” Omar declared in a tweet just before McCarthy’s election.
“Hard to overstate how dangerous this is,” the far-left Minnesota Democrat went on to insist.
McCarthy just agreed to a deal with far right insurrectionists that would hold the entire US and global economy hostage to extreme cuts to everything from housing to education, healthcare, Social Security and Medicare.
Hard to overstate how dangerous this is.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 6, 2023
However, Fox News noted that Omar’s words were quickly met with derision by other social media users, including Twitchy Managing Editor Samantha Janney.
Janney mockingly asked whether “only far-right insurrectionists” are concerned about excessive government spending.
Only far-right insurrectionists want to cut spending? LOL https://t.co/izLyBKB8vd
— The🐰FOO (@PolitiBunny) January 7, 2023
Janney wasn’t alone in belittling Omar’s statement, with former Florida Republican House candidate and conservative commentator Vic DeGrammont arguing the “deal was needed” given Democratic enthusiasm for big dollar spending.
Democrats just pushed through a $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Bill, and you’re worried about spending more money already. Sounds like that deal was needed!
— Vic DeGrammont (@votedegrammont) January 7, 2023
Meanwhile, conservative comedians Keith and Kevin Hodge simply tweeted that “dangerous freedom” is preferable to “peaceful slavery.”
Dangerous freedom > peaceful slavery
— Hodgetwins (@hodgetwins) January 7, 2023
McCarthy finally elected after 15 votes
McCarthy’s path to the speakership was far from smooth, coming after a contentious week-long process in which House members voted 15 times. It saw resistance to McCarthy’s candidacy from House Freedom Caucus members like Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, who at one point nominated former President Donald Trump for speaker.
I’m formally nominating President Donald J. Trump for Speaker of the House.
Make the House of Representatives Great Again! pic.twitter.com/HZJ4Mqc1bi
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) January 5, 2023
Fox News quoted McCarthy as saying in his victory speech that he “will never give up on you, the American people,” adding, “And I will never give up on keeping our Commitment to America. Our nation is worth fighting for.”