Republicans say Kevin McCarthy won’t play “teen games” like Nancy Pelosi and tear up Biden’s speech

House Republicans paint themselves as “adults in the room” ahead of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.

Several lawmakers who spoke to DailyMail.com said they expect House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who will sit behind Biden during the speech, to provide a sharp contrast to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi – who famously delivered Donald Trump’s speech State of the Union torn apart after he finished speaking 2020.

Other Republican lawmakers in the majority of the House of Representatives, however, have not shied away from showing a little frivolity by voicing their disapproval of the president.

Firebrand Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was spotted through the convention halls with a white balloon — a powerful symbol amid GOP criticism over Biden’s handling of a suspected Chinese “spy balloon” that flew over several U.S. states before it exploded on Saturday was finally shot down.

She and Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert vocally interrupted Biden’s State of the Union last year over his handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy went out of his way early Tuesday to say he would not tear up President Biden’s State of the Union address

Republicans speaking to DailyMail.com ahead of Biden’s big speech contrasted how they believe McCarthy will tie up with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is tearing up Donald Trump’s speech in 2020

Asked if he expects to see antics from anyone at the GOP conference this time, South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson told DailyMail.com: “Well, obviously, when you’ve got 222, folks, it’s hard to say that everyone will act a certain way.’

But he and other Republicans have made it clear that they expect McCarthy to make a dignified presence at Biden’s first address to a divided Congress.

“He should behave with grace and dignity and not use any of the tricks that Pelosi used to do,” said California Rep. Doug LaMalfa, a close McCarthy aide.

Meanwhile, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene brought a white balloon through the halls of Congress amid criticism of Biden for his handling of China’s spy balloon

“He shouldn’t be up there and behaving like that, and he won’t.”

Though LaMalfa joked that McCarthy should “take his copy of the speech and get a white helium balloon and just let it go,” before quickly adding, “I don’t think he’s going to do that.”

Texas MP Keith Self told DailyMail.com when asked how McCarthy should treat himself: “I think we need to show Americans that we’re mature adults. We’re not going to play those youthful games that we’re going to be the adults in the room, which is exactly who we are.’

“We expect ourselves to behave, and we will show the American people that we will be sane and reasonable and accountable for our actions. I don’t expect any emphasis from the Speaker of the House,” Self said.

New Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman called Pelosi’s tearing up of Trump’s speech in 2020 “infantile” and said McCarthy would be a “gentleman” instead.

‘[Pelosi] tore up the speech. That’s what 7-year-old kids do when they misbehave,” Hageman said.

“So I don’t think Kevin McCarthy would do something that stupid.”

North Carolina Rep. Greg Murphy said such protests during the president’s joint address to Congress were disrespectful to the office rather than to any specific person.

Greene and her colleague Lauren Boebert loudly protested Biden’s last State of the Union

‘What [Pelosi] was basically disrespectful of their position. I think he should be there respectfully,” Murphy said.

‘[Biden] is the President of the United States, although I did not vote for him and would never vote for him.’

For his part, the spokesman did everything early Tuesday to dispel any notion that he would follow Pelosi’s example.

“I don’t believe in the theatrics of tearing up speeches,” McCarthy said in a video. “I respect the other side.”

“I can’t agree with the policy, but I want to make sure this country is stronger, economically healthy, energy independent, secure and accountable.”

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk