Reporter Removed From Kevin McCarthy Press Conference After 1/6 Commission Question: Video

A reporter was allegedly "dragged" by four police officers from a press conference on Thursday after asking Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy why he opposed a January 6th commission.

Journalist Grant Stern posted a 55-second point-of-video he took on Twitter Thursday, showing McCarthy speak to a room of reporters at the press conference in Hialeah Gardens, Florida. McCarthy denounces "the oppression of people being picked up in the streets" by Cuban police officers. "That's not America. That's not what we stand for," he says, when Stern's voice can be heard loudly interjecting.

"Minority leader, you said that the 1960 revolution, it created tyranny on the island of Cuba. And I am asking you a question," Stern says as the camera began to shake, and he appears to be dragged backward. McCarthy looks down, away from the reporter.

"It's not a Democratic or Republican issue," Stern continues, "so, why do you oppose the January 6 Commission, sir? Why do you oppose the January 6 Commission, sir?"

By the time Stern finishes the question, he appears to have been removed via the back of the room. Stern says four cops picked him up and dragged him.

In his tweet, posted Thursday afternoon, Stern wrote: "I tried to ask @GOPLeader McCarthy a question after he decried Cuban police pickup up people in the streets. Why does he oppose the bipartisan #January6thCommission? A Congressional staffer had four cops pick me up and drag me from the room. I still asked the question."

Some are now wondering if this could become a First Amendment issue for McCarthy. Jon Cooper, a former campaigner for both Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, tweeted: "My friend @grantstern is a journalist who was forcibly removed by 4 police officers when he tried to ask @GOPLeader a question at a presser — why he opposed the bipartisan Jan. 6 Committee. This is outrageous & shouldn't happen in America."

Stern continued tweeting after he posted the video, directly addressing Republican members of Congress at times, who tweeted their thanks for McCarthy's visit: "You didn't say a word as goons kicked me out of that press conference. Was it one of your staffers?" he asked Representative Carlos Gimenez of Florida.

And in response to Representative Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida, Stern tweeted, "Are you going to stand up for press freedom??"

Back in May, McCarthy announced his opposition to the bipartisan agreement for a January 6 Commission to investigate the attacks on the Capitol. He joined with some of his fellow Republicans who moved to downplay and bury the seriousness of the Mob supporting Donald Trump's desire to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 election.

After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected two of his five appointees to the commission, McCarthy was asked to provide replacements. Instead, he pulled all of his appointees, causing Representative Liz Cheney to accuse him of attempting to cover up what really happened at the Capitol on January 6.

Newsweek reached out to McCarthy for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.