McCarthy: Benghazi Committee ‘Not Political’ ‘Never My Intention’ To Say Otherwise

On Thursday’s “Special Report” on the Fox News Channel, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) addressed comments he made that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers had dropped because of discoveries by the Benghazi Select Committee.

McCarthy stated, “this committee was set up for one sole purpose, to find the truth, on behalf of the families for four dead Americans. Now, I did not intend to imply in any way that that work is political, of course it is not. Look at the way they have carried themselves out.”

He added that the committee’s Chairman, Representative Trey Gowdy (R-SC) told McCarthy that his comments have made it harder for the committee.

McCarthy further said that he told Gowdy, “I regret that this has ever taken place, it was never my intention and Trey goes, ‘I know it’s not your intention,, because you know it’s not political.'”

McCarthy also stated, “Look, this is not what you’re going to see as speaker of the House.”

When asked why it took two days for him to clarify, McCarthy responded, “I put a statement out yesterday, and I could have come out, I should have come out right afterwards. … It wasn’t what I in my mind was saying out there. I was saying some truth came out from this committee — is where you found the server, where you went forward.”

He concluded, “It’s been a setback, yes. Because, I do not want to make that harm [the] Benghazi committee in any way, because it’s not political.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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