McCarthy says tweet about Soros, Steyer and Bloomberg ‘had nothing to do’ with their religion

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said on Wednesday that an older tweet in which he called for constituents not to let three prominent Jewish donors “buy” the 2018 election had “nothing to do” with the men’s religion.

“That had nothing to do about faith,” McCarthy said on Fox News after being asked about his tweet. “That was about Republicans versus Democrats.”

“All I was pointing out was money that Republicans and Democrats were spending to defeat one another,” he added. 

{mosads}McCarthy tweeted in October that George Soros, Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg, all of whom have Jewish heritage, should not be allowed “to buy” the 2018 midterm election. 

“We cannot allow Soros, Steyer and Bloomberg to BUY this election!” he said in the now-deleted tweet. “Get out and vote Republican November 6th. #MAGA ”

McCarthy has been an outspoken critic of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) who has been facing controversy after tweeting that politicians’ staunch support for Israel is “all about the Benjamins.” Omar contends that she was referring to the large influence the pro-Israel lobby has on policies.

McCarthy said he supports Vice President Pence’s call to remove Omar from her position on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. 

Omar apologized for her tweet, saying, “I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans … This is why I unequivocally apologize.”

She did, however, say she still takes issue with the influence of lobbying groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). 

“At the same time, I reaffirm the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics, whether it be AIPAC, the NRA or the fossil fuel industry.

A video of McCarthy’s appearance on Fox was published by Mediaite.