Politico, CNN writers criticize Pelosi's rejection of GOP picks for riot committee: 'Gift to Kevin McCarthy'

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Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., drew some media criticism Wednesday after rejecting two of the Republicans picked by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., for the committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, facing charges she gave the GOP a political gift.

Politico Playbook author Rachael Bade declared it played into McCarthy's hands as painting the House select committee as a political exercise rather than one dedicated to fact-finding.

"Pelosi's move to reject GOP picks for the 1/6 panel is going to be a gift to Kevin McCarthy in the long run. He wanted this panel to look partisan and political. Now it's definitely going to look partisan and political," Bade tweeted.

MCCARTHY SAYS PELOSI ‘HAS BROKEN THIS INSTITUTION’ BY DENYING GOP PICKS FOR JAN. 6 SELECT COMMITTEE

McCarthy pulled all five of his chosen Republicans from the panel on Wednesday after Pelosi turned down Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., who are both staunch allies of former President Donald Trump and objected to certification of President Joe Biden's election victory. A mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in a violent melee to disrupt the certification proceedings on Jan. 6; one was shot and killed by police.

CNN's Chris Cillizza wrote that Pelosi's move "dooms even the possibility of the committee being perceived as bipartisan or its eventual findings being seen as independent."

Cillizza simultaneously argued that Pelosi was likely justified in making her decision as he felt Banks and Jordan would have gummed up the committee's investigation with conspiracy theories.

PELOSI BANS GOP REPS. JIM JORDAN, JIM BANKS FROM SERVING ON JAN. 6 COMMITTEE, MCCARTHY THREATENS TOTAL BOYCOTT

"You can be sure every Republican will use Pelosi's rejection of their nominees as evidence that she doesn't want the, uh, truth to come out," he wrote. "There's zero evidence that suggests Pelosi or Democrats did anything wrong in advance of or during the January 6 riot, which was incited by former President Donald Trump. But Pelosi has handed Republicans a golden issue to rev up their base in advance of the 2022 midterms -- and you can bet they will use it."

Both Bade and Cillizza were sharply criticized online by liberal pundits and journalists for their analysis.

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The only remaining Republican on the committee is Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., one of 10 House GOP members who voted to impeach Trump on the charge he incited an insurrection in January. She said Wednesday the rhetoric from Banks, Jordan, and McCarthy around the riot and its investigation had been "disgraceful."