Jake Tapper Presses GOP Rep. McCarthy Pulled From 1/6 Committee: How Can You Rely on Members ‘Constantly Spewing These Lies About the Election?’

CNN’s Jake Tapper pressed Congressman Kelly Armstrong (R- ND) on Monday about the political back-and-forth over the January 6th select committee.

Armstrong was one of the five Republicans House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy selected for the committee. After Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected two of his picks, McCarthy pulled all five.

Armstrong told Tapper the Capitol Police officers testifying Tuesday deserve to be heard, but added, “I wish they were being heard in a less partisan forum.”

Tapper asked if he believes Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney should be punished by House GOP leadership. Armstrong said no before hitting the credibility of the committee with only those two Republicans.

Jim Banks and Jim Jordan, Tapper noted, “had been putting forward the election lie that Donald Trump actually won the election.”

“If the purpose of the committee is to get to the truth of what happened and you have these two members that are constantly spewing these lies about the election, how much can you actually rely on them to be effective members of Congress in terms of the mission of the committee?” he asked.

“This is a partisan town, all committees are partisan, and the members should get to put who they want on there, and that’s how it has to be, that’s how it always should be,” Armstrong responded. “I used to try cases and you don’t get to change the law or change the rules the harder the case gets. If you do those types of things, the function of the building, the function of the institution cease to work.”

Tapper asked if — given that Pelosi did not reject him specifically — it would be “better for the nation” for him to be on the committee.

“I don’t take positions from the speaker’s office, I take them from our leader and on our side because that’s the way this place works,” Armstrong said.

You can watch above, via CNN.