McCarthy Vows Schiff Will Lose Intel Committee Chair After NYT Confirms Hunter Laptop That Schiff Called “Kremlin Smear”

On 3/19/2022, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy vowed that Adam Schiff would be removed from the Intel Committee chairmanship if Republicans took the majority, after the New York Times authenticated the Hunter Biden laptop emails that Schiff had repeatedly told the American public were a “Kremlin smear.” McCarthy asked: “Why is he still chair of the committee? And why is he even on the committee?” The video compiled Schiff’s 2020 claims alongside the NYT authentication and Psaki’s continued refusal to address the laptop’s authenticity.

”In a New Congress, He Will Not Be”

McCarthy was direct about Schiff’s future. “Why is he still chair of the committee? And why is he even on the committee?” McCarthy asked. “In a new Congress, if it’s a new majority, he will not be.”

McCarthy laid out the case. “You cannot make this committee political. You cannot use it as a position of a chairman to lie,” McCarthy said. “And you should be focused on what the American people want you to be focused on around the world. How did you miss Afghanistan collapsing?”

Schiff’s “Kremlin Smear” Claims

The video compiled Schiff’s repeated 2020 assertions that the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation. “Clearly the origins of this whole smear are from the Kremlin, and the president is only too happy to have Kremlin help in trying to amplify it,” Schiff had said.

“This information Rudy Giuliani is peddling very well could be connected to some sort of Russian government disinformation campaign,” Schiff had told the public. “We know that this whole smear on Joe Biden comes from the Kremlin. That’s been clear for well over a year now.”

A commentator noted the timeline. “If you recall, Jonathan Turley has an article written in October 2020 — after Schiff said this to the American public. The elections were in November,” the commentator said. “But the Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe, said no — that’s not the case. There is no intelligence out there to base it upon what Adam Schiff, as the chair of the Intel Committee, was telling the country.”

“And what did we just find out from the New York Times? Yes, it is Joe Biden’s laptop. And yes, Adam Schiff lied to us one more time,” the commentator said.

Psaki’s Continued Stonewalling

The video included Psaki’s ongoing refusal to address the laptop. “The New York Times has authenticated emails that appear to have come from a laptop abandoned by Hunter Biden. The president previously said the New York Post story was ‘a bunch of garbage’ and a ‘Russian plant.’ Does he stand by that?” a reporter asked.

“I’d point you to the Department of Justice and also to Hunter Biden’s representatives, who doesn’t work in the government,” Psaki said.

Another reporter asked about the $3.5 million from Russia’s richest woman. “What would be his conflicts of interest?” Psaki responded. “He’s continued to sanction oligarchs more than we’ve ever sanctioned in the past.”

On Hunter’s Chinese divestment: “He’s a private citizen. He doesn’t work for the government. I’d point you to his representatives. I think we’re done here,” Psaki said.

Trump’s 2020 Warning Vindicated

The video included Trump’s exchange with “60 Minutes” host Leslie Stahl. “I think it’s one of the biggest scandals I’ve ever seen, and you don’t cover it,” Trump had said. “Because it can’t be verified,” Stahl replied. “Of course it can be verified. They found the laptop, Leslie,” Trump responded.

Trump had also directly challenged Biden: “All of the emails, the horrible emails of the kind of money that you were raking in, you and your family. And Joe, you were vice president when some of this was happening. I think you owe an explanation to the American people.”

The Credibility Collapse

The laptop saga represented a broader collapse in institutional credibility. The intelligence community, social media platforms, and mainstream media had all participated in suppressing a legitimate news story weeks before a presidential election — and had spent 18 months maintaining the suppression. The NYT authentication forced a reckoning that none of these institutions had volunteered. The question was no longer whether the laptop was real but why so many powerful institutions had worked so hard to convince the public it wasn’t.

Key Takeaways

McCarthy vowed Schiff would lose the Intel Committee chairmanship in a new Republican majority after the NYT confirmed the laptop Schiff had called a “Kremlin smear.”
Schiff had told the public in October 2020 — weeks before the election — that the laptop was Russian disinformation, contradicting the Director of National Intelligence.
Psaki continued to refuse all questions about the laptop, pointing to “DOJ” and “his representatives” while declining to retract the “Russian disinformation” claim.
Trump’s 2020 assertion to Leslie Stahl — “of course it can be verified, they found the laptop” — was vindicated by the NYT authentication.
McCarthy said: “You cannot use the position of chairman to lie. That’s not your job. That’s not your role.”

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

Why is he still chair of the committee? In a new Congress, if it’s a new majority, he will not be.
We know this whole smear on Joe Biden comes from the Kremlin. That’s been clear for well over a year.
What did we just find out from the New York Times? Yes, it is Joe Biden’s laptop. Adam Schiff lied to us one more time.
Of course it can be verified. They found the laptop, Leslie.
He’s a private citizen. He doesn’t work for the government. I think we’re done here.
You cannot use the position of chairman to lie. That’s not your role.

Full transcript: 1096 words transcribed via Whisper AI.