Pelosi calls McCarthy 'a moron' for his mask mandate criticism

"He's such a moron," Pelosi, a California Democrat, said while getting into her SUV outside the Capitol, when asked about the House minority leader.

Her insult came in response to McCarthy's criticism in a tweet of new mask mandates in which he said, "Make no mistake — The threat of bringing masks back is not a decision based on science, but a decision conjured up by liberal government officials who want to continue to live in a perpetual pandemic state."

Pelosi's deputy chief of staff Drew Hammill quickly followed up in a tweet, "Unfortunately, we can't verify this audio because of poor quality, but I can confirm that the Speaker believes that saying a mask requirement is 'not a decision based on science' is moronic."

The Capitol attending physician sent a memo Tuesday with guidance that both vaccinated and unvaccinated lawmakers, staff and other visitors to the Capitol wear masks indoors. The memo also specified the guidance is mandatory in the House side of the Capitol.

"For all House Office Buildings, the Hall of the House, and House Committee Meetings, wearing of a well-fitted, medical grade, filtration face mask is required when an individual is in an interior space and other individuals are present," the memo said. "To be clear, for meetings in an enclosed US House of Representatives controlled space, masks are REQUIRED."

Some Republicans have begun to criticize Pelosi, blaming her for the mandate, and are refusing to wear masks on the floor.

While Pelosi and McCarthy have never been close, their relationship recently has completely deteriorated amid the fallout from the House select committee to investigate the January 6 Capitol attack.

When CNN asked Pelosi on Tuesday to weigh in on McCarthy saying he didn't watch the first hearing for the select committee on Tuesday, Pelosi responded: "Anytime you mention his name, you're not getting an answer from me. Don't waste my time."

This comes a week after a phone call between Pelosi and McCarthy where the speaker informed him she would reject two of his selections to the special House committee. Voices were raised, a source with knowledge of the matter said, and McCarthy protested, hinting the decision could come back to haunt her.

"What you're doing is unprecedented," McCarthy told Pelosi, according to a second source familiar with the call.

"The unprecedented nature of January 6th demands this unprecedented decision," Pelosi said, suggesting that the adding GOP Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio to the committee would undercut the integrity of the probe.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

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