In his second month representing Fresno County in Congress, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R–Bakersfield) dropped the metaphorical kid gloves with the area’s largest newspaper and started swinging.
The Fresno Bee, a McClatchy-owned publication, developed a reputation for shotgunning rapid response editorials against an ally of McCarthy, former Rep. Devin Nunes (R–Tulare) as his national profile exploded during the House Intelligence Committee investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Now, the paper has begun devolving to the same moves against McCarthy.
State of play: Since redistricting, the McClatchy-owned pub ratcheted up its editorials on McCarthy’s work to secure a GOP majority in the House of Representatives and chided him for the work to win the Speaker’s gavel.
- Video of the altercation following McCarthy’s press conference in Clovis on Tuesday, captured by GV Wire’s David Taub, shows McCarthy standing pointing to Fresno Bee editorial chief Tad Weber as he excoriated the scribe for “taking an opinion on everything I ever do” without having contacted him.
At close of @SpeakerMcCarthy news conference with #Fresno media, he lets the @FresnoBee and @TadWeber have it. pic.twitter.com/hxSzduhSXO— David Taub (@TaubGVWire) February 15, 2023
