McCarthy: There will be a day of reckoning for Biden | TheHill

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyKevin McCarthyOvernight Defense & National Security: Terror in Kabul as explosions kill and injure hundreds Biden says deadly attack won’t alter US evacuation mission in Afghanistan McCarthy calls for House to return and vote on delaying Afghanistan withdrawal MORE (R-Calif.) declared Friday that “there will be a day of reckoning” for President BidenJoe BidenSupreme Court blocks Biden’s eviction moratorium Overnight Defense & National Security: Terror in Kabul as explosions kill and injure hundreds White House: Biden ‘somber’ and ‘outraged’ after hearing of Kabul attack MORE following a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan that killed 13 U.S. service members and dozens of Afghan civilians. 

However, the minority leader did not join calls from many of his rank-and-file Republicans for the commander in chief to resign or be impeached.

“Look, I’m extremely frustrated with the president. As I said, if you want to be president of the free world, you have to have the trust, faith and confidence of the American public. President Biden lost that yesterday,” McCarthy told reporters in a news conference in the Capitol. 

“There will be a day of reckoning,” he added.

But given Biden’s Aug. 31 deadline to pull all U.S. troops out of the country, McCarthy said the focus should now be squarely on bringing Americans safely home from Afghanistan. 

“Right now in the next five days, everyone’s responsibility should only be focused on getting the Americans,” McCarthy said. “When that day passes, you can take up anything to hold accountable for the actions that have been taken, the lies that have been given, the mis-decisions that have put Americans in harm’s way, and a decision to leave Americans behind.”

“That choice, that answer,” he said, should have “never been given [by] a president.”

A handful of House Republicans, including those seeking higher office in 2022, called on Biden to resign on Friday.

Among them are Reps. Bill Long and Vicky HartzlerVicky Jo HartzlerMissouri Rep. Billy Long enters Senate GOP primary Former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon passes on Senate campaign Trump unhappy with Guilfoyle backing Greitens: report MORE, who are both running for the GOP nomination for a Senate seat in Missouri; and Rep. Lee ZeldinLee ZeldinHochul seeks fresh start after Cuomo scandal Hochul to host in-person fundraiser next week in Buffalo: report Kathy Hochul says she’ll run for full NY governor term in 2022 MORE (R-N.Y.), who is running for governor. 

“Biden has become the portrait of this chaos, and his standing in America, and the world, is forever diminished,” Hartzler wrote in an op-ed in the Washington Examiner. “It is time he realize this and acknowledge that America’s recovery, both domestically and across the globe, begins with his resignation as president. It is the right thing to do.” 

Biden, however, has no intention of resigning, and Democrats, who control the House, will not impeach him.

Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiOvernight Defense & National Security: Terror in Kabul as explosions kill and injure hundreds US flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor slain troops Overnight Energy: Democrat spending proposal would raise conservation cash through fossil fees MORE (D-Calif.) also has rebuffed McCarthy’s demand that she call the House back into session to address the dire situation in Afghanistan. 

He reiterated those calls on Friday, arguing that lawmakers need more opportunities to question top Biden officials about the withdrawal and attack and to pass legislation by Rep. Mike GallagherMichael (Mike) John GallagherOvernight Defense & National Security: Terror in Kabul as explosions kill and injure hundreds McCarthy calls for House to return and vote on delaying Afghanistan withdrawal Report finds US government has made progress on cybersecurity, more work remains MORE (R-Wis.) ensuring Americans are not left behind.

“Speaker Pelosi needs to call Congress back in session to get a comprehensive classified briefing from the Biden administration and to pass Rep. Gallagher’s bill to prohibit the president from withdrawing our troops until every single American is out of Afghanistan,” McCarthy said. “This isn’t the time for doing nothing. This is the time for decisive leadership. It’s not difficult to call Congress back — in a Pelosi Congress, you can vote by proxy.”