SMACK TALK

Nancy Pelosi Appears to Call Kevin McCarthy ‘Such a Moron’ for Opposing Mask Mandate

Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff would not confirm the comment, saying the audio of her remarks couldn’t be verified due to poor quality.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared to call House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy “a moron” for his opposition to mask-wearing on Wednesday. Pelosi was asked about his criticism of a mask mandate while getting into her SUV outside the Capitol. According to several reporters who were present, she offered a brief but scathing response, saying simply, “He’s such a moron.” Pelosi’s comments were followed by a tweet from her deputy chief of staff, however, who would not confirm the remarks. “Unfortunately, we can't verify this audio because of poor quality, but I can confirm that the Speaker believes that saying a mask requirement is ‘not a decision based on science’ is moronic,” Drew Hammier said.

Due to the Delta variant, the CDC has issued new rules on mask wearing, which McCarthy called a decision “conjured up by liberal government officials who want to continue to live in a perpetual pandemic state.” Mask-wearing will also be mandatory in the House side of the Capitol, according to a memo sent out by the Capitol attending physician this week.