McCarthy sidesteps questions on Trump's baseless conspiracy theory involving a former congressman

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy declined to weigh in Wednesday on a baseless conspiracy theory being promoted by President Trump, saying he did not serve with the former congressman whom the president has falsely linked to the death of a staff member.

McCarthy (Calif.), the chamber’s top Republican, was asked about the president’s claims hours after Trump’s latest attack on MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida who retired from politics in 2001.

“I was not here with Joe Scarborough. I don’t quite know about the subject itself,” McCarthy, who was first elected in 2006, said at a news conference. He was asked whether he agreed with a Wall Street Journal editorial that said Trump was “debasing his office” with his claims. McCarthy indicated that he had not read the editorial.

The sidestep came as many of Trump’s fellow Republicans sought to avoid commenting on his calls to reopen the “cold case” of Lori Klausutis, who worked in Scarborough’s Florida office and died in 2001 at age 28.

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